Category: Reading

Reading

Every Book Its Reader

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Or Books That Are Not For Me

Librarians will recognize Ranganathan’s Third Law of Library Science*: “Every Book Its Reader,” meaning of course that not every book is meant for every reader, but all books are meant for A reader.

When I retired, I was determined to start working through my To Be Read list, starting with my Goodreads account. I started adding titles I wanted to read as early as 2007, so I decided to start with the earliest ones.

A couple have been great reads: Moloka’i by Alan Brennert and Otherlands by Thomas Halliday.

Others were not meant for this reader:

  • Life After Life by Kate Atkinson – I usually enjoy Atkinson’s work, but this one just did not resonate. I found the repetition boring and irritating after several chapters. Fascinating premise, but just not for me.
  • Mrs. Poe by Lynn Cullen – An odd fictional exploration of Edgar Allan Poe’s relationship with his young wife. Dark, brooding, and very creepy.
  • The Resurrectionist: the lost work of Spencer Black – If Mrs. Poe was dark and creepy, this one was ghoulish and bizarre.
  • Indian Burial Ground by Nick Medina – Enjoyed the first half but had to put it down when it got super gruesome. Not a fan.

I am moving on to more from the list – The River of No Return by Bee Ridgeway and The Malice of Fortune by Michael Ennis. Hoping these live up to the hype of 13 years ago!

Not on my old Goodreads list but a couple I read recently that also missed the mark for me:

  • Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab – Schwab is one of the more literate authors writing today. Her narrative is always beautifully rendered and this book is no exception. However I am just so done with vampire stories. And really, Anne Rice wrote this story 50 years ago. Not a favorite read for me but I imagine it will be a blockbuster.
  • Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism by Sarah Wynn-Williams – While I think the author wants us to see her as a brave whistleblower, she must certainly bear some of the blame for the heinous things she describes. You don‘t live and work like that for so long without being complicit. Overall, I was deeply disappointed and often horrified at the ridiculous behavior and dangerous decision-making that results when ordinary people acquire an unimaginable amount of money and power.

*If you’re curious about the Five Laws of Library Science, here they are – https://www.librarianshipstudies.com/2017/09/five-laws-of-library-science.html

Reading

Retirement Reading

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

I’ve been retired for just a little over 2 months and have spent that time catching up on my lengthy Netgalley pre-pub reading. For the first time in years, my Netgalley queue is empty!

What’s next? Tackling my Goodreads “Want To Read” list, where the earliest entry is from 2012. I’m starting at the beginning and plan to work my way through all of them.

There are 700 books in that list, although I anticipate that some of them have been read but the status not changed in my Goodreads account. It will be fun to look back on what captured my attention so many years ago.

I’m starting with the beauty shown above: Moloka’i by Alan Brennert. All the reviews use words like “transcendant” and “heartbreaking” so I’m expecting an emotional reading experience.

Another change for me – as I adjust to life as a library patron rather than employee, I am becoming reacquainted with the holds system. I’m hoping to read most or all of the GR books in print format from area libraries. We’ll see how that goes!

Stay tuned for my review.

Books About Books, Family, Mystery, New Releases, Reading, Suspense, Women

Return to Wyldecliffe Heights by Carol Goodman

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

Jane Eyre meets The Thirteenth Tale in this new modern gothic mystery from two-time Mary Higgins Clark Award–winner Carol Goodman, about a reclusive writer who is desperate to rewrite the past.

Losing yourself inside of a book can be dangerous. Not everyone finds their way out.

Agnes Corey, a junior editor at a small independent publisher, has been hired by enigmatic author Veronica St. Clair to transcribe the sequel to her 1993 hit phenomenon, The Secret of Wyldcliffe Heights. St. Clair has been a recluse since the publication of the Jane Eyre-esque book, which coincided with a terrible fire that blinded and scarred her. Arriving in the Hudson Valley at St. Clair’s crumbling estate, which was once a psychiatric hospital for “wayward women,” Agnes is eager to ensure St. Clair’s devoted fans will get the sequel they’ve been anticipating for the past thirty years.

As St. Clair dictates, Agnes realizes there are clues in the story that reveal the true—and terrifying—events three decades ago that inspired the original novel. The line between fact and fiction becomes increasingly blurred, and Agnes discovers terrible secrets about an unresolved murder from long ago, which have startling connections to her own life. As St. Clair’s twisting tale infiltrates Agnes’s psyche, Agnes begins to question her own sanity—and safety. In order to save herself, Agnes must uncover what really happened to St. Clair, and in doing so, set free the stories of all the women victimized by Wyldcliffe Heights. 

My Thoughts

Carol Goodman never fails to deliver a riveting, complicated, and suspenseful story and she has succeeded admirably here. Goodman excels in writing complex relationships, often mother-daughter, that span generations, and the saga of Wyldecliffe Heights certainly provides plenty of family drama. There is the horrifying secret from the past, combined with the damaged younger protagonist, combined with the creepy history of the house as an asylum that all come together to create a story that doesn’t stop.

While there are nods to Jane Eyre and The Thirteenth Tale, this is an original and cleverly plotted story with a great twist at the end. This will appeal to fans of Simone St. James and Eve Chase, but also to Goodman’s legion of readers. Her books just keep getting better! I’ll be adding this to my recommended Spooky Season reads this year for sure.

Publication Date: July 30, 2024
Published By: William Morrow
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

Cozy, Detective, Fairytales, Fantasy, General, Historical, Lists, Magical, Magical Realism, Middle Grade, Mystery, Psychological, Reading, Summer Reading

Summer Reading Part 2 Series Recommendations

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

I am a series reader. I find an author and set of characters that appeal to me and I keep going back for more. Turns out, many of my friends and family are also series readers and they had plenty of recommendations for your summer reading!

From Me…

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear – Follow the adventures of Maisie who grows from a teenage maid to an adult detective through this fabulous historical series set in the first half of the 20th century. Winspear has just published the final entry in the series, which you can read about here. Start with the very first book, Maisie Dobbs, and progress through the rest. Just as good in audio form as print.

Sarah Addison Allen specializes in writing gentle, heartwarming stories featuring family secrets, magical realism, and often a captivating romance. Some of my favorites are: Garden Spells, The Girl Who Chased the Moon, and The Peach Keeper. Perfect for a lazy summer afternoon.

James Rollins is the complete opposite of the previous author! He specializes in pulse-pounding adventure featuring the Sigma Force, a super-secret and multi-talented government agency whose job is to keep the world from imploding. Rollins has written multiple books in the series that all revolve around an intricate, well-researched piece of history. My favorite in the series is The Last Odyssey which features plenty of the monsters from the Greek myths I love. Start with the first in the series, Sandstorm, and go from there, although I started with #2 in the series, Map of Bones and was totally hooked. If you’re already a Rollins fan, there’s a new Sigma Force novel out this summer – Arkangel. You’re welcome!

Kate Mosse is the author of some very chunky books! However, those books will keep you up late turning page after page. My favorite is Sepulchre but her other work is just as fascinating. Meticulous historical fiction, mostly set in France. Reading her work is a commitment well worth your time.

Erin Hart is the author of what I call the “bog mysteries.” I found Hart’s work as I was randomly researching the topic after seeing a news story about an ancient body discovered in an Irish peat bog. Hart’s bog series features two recurring characters – pathologist Nora Gavin and Irish archaeologist Cormac McGuire. Start with the first in the series, Haunted Ground.

Katherine Arden is the author of one of my all-time favorite high fantasy trilogies – The Winternight Trilogy. Start with the first, The Bear and the Nightingale and immerse yourself in Slavic folklore and magic. This is an absolute stunner of a series!

From Cynthia Dana…

Record Shop Mysteries by Olivia Blacke is a fun series featuring three sisters who take over the operations of a family record shop and cafe in their small Texas hometown. They serve up delicious coffee, spin some hot tracks, and solve murders in their spare time. There are three entries in the series – easily readable during the summer months!

From Allison McDonald Fredericks

Scot Horvath series by Brad Thor is a thrilling, fast-paced action-adventure series in which the main character, Scot Horvath, protects the United States and its people at all costs. For fans of James Rollins, Steve Berry, and Clive Cussler.

Keeper of Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger is a captivating series for kids who are into fantasy. The main character is 12-year-old Sophie Foster who discovers she’s a telepath. The series follows Sophie’s adventures and includes plenty of action-packed mysteries and challenges.

Wings of Fire series by Tui T. Sutherland is is wonderful introduction for young readers to the imaginative world of dragons. Learn all about the world of Pyrrhia here – https://tuibooks.com/wings-of-fire/the-world/.

From Emily John

Tristan Strong trilogy by Kwame Mbilia is part of the Rick Riordan presents series which features fascinating characters and world lore. In this case, Mbilia explores the world of African American folklore and West African gods with his engaging character, 7th grader Tristan Strong. Check out other entries in the Rick Riordan presents series.

From Beth Nash…

Ruth Ware is one of the best authors of psychological suspense fiction working today. She has a new one coming out this summer – One Perfect Couple – but there are plenty of others to dip into. Check out her catalog of work on her website.

Looking for a lighter mystery ion the cozy vein? Try Amy Van Sant’s books which include the Pineapple Port mysteries, the Shee McQueen series, and many others.

Louise Penney’s Inspector Gamache mystery series is a long-running, beloved set of suspenseful adventures set in Quebec. If you haven’t read these novels, start this summer and stay occupied for the rest of the year!

Here’s one more series for the mystery & suspense readers out there: The Cold Case series by Lissa Marie Redmond follows cold case detective Lauren Riley through many fascinating investigations.

Books About Books, Magical, Magical Realism, Mystery, Reading, Romance, Time Slip, Women

The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

From the beloved New York Times bestselling author of The Marriage of Opposites and the Practical Magic series comes an enchanting novel about love, heartbreak, self-discovery, and the enduring magic of books.

One brilliant June day when Mia Jacob can no longer see a way to survive, the power of words saves her. The Scarlet Letter was written almost two hundred years earlier, but it seems to tell the story of Mia’s mother, Ivy, and their life inside the Community—an oppressive cult in western Massachusetts where contact with the outside world is forbidden, and books are considered evil. But how could this be? How could Nathaniel Hawthorne have so perfectly captured the pain and loss that Mia carries inside her?

Through a journey of heartbreak, love, and time, Mia must abandon the rules she was raised with at the Community. As she does, she realizes that reading can transport you to other worlds or bring them to you, and that readers and writers affect one another in mysterious ways. She learns that time is more fluid than she can imagine, and that love is stronger than any chains that bind you.

As a girl Mia fell in love with a book. Now as a young woman she falls in love with a brilliant writer as she makes her way back in time. But what if Nathaniel Hawthorne never wrote The Scarlet Letter? And what if Mia Jacob never found it on the day she planned to die?

Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote: “A single dream is more powerful than a thousand realities.”

This is the story of one woman’s dream. For a little while it came true.

My Thoughts

Here is another gentle, lovely experience from Alice Hoffman who has an uncanny ability to build resilient, evocative female characters with whom I really want to be friends in real life!

Mia is such a complex character who shifts easily between worlds. Hoffman’s imagining of a true timeslip based on books is breathtaking for this lifelong reader/librarian. And what a story she spins here! I was a little skeptical at first because of the Scarlet Letter and Nathaniel Hawthorne connection because my recollection from learning about Hawthorne in school was that he was kind of a jerk, and I have not enjoyed most of his work. I remember being so angry at the injustice while reading The Scarlet Letter when I was teen.

The irony here is that Mia (and her mother) in the present time are far more controlled and restrained by a man than Mia is when she moves backwards in time to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s world. The juxtaposition of Mia’s experiences are startling and evocative.

Hoffman takes the Scarlet Letter premise and successfully applies it to both time periods, effectively demonstrating the destructive power one man can have over a woman but also giving her a way out.

Alice Hoffman is a true treasure of an author. Every single one of her books is a gift. This is one for my bookshelves.

Highly recommended.

Publication Date: August 15, 2023
Published By: Atria Books
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

Books About Books, British, Historical, Makes You Think, Reading, Women

The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

An uplifting and inspiring novel based on the true story of a librarian who created an underground shelter during World War II, perfect for readers of The Paris Library or The Last Bookshop in London. 

London, 1944. Clara Button is no ordinary librarian. While the world remains at war, in East London, Clara has created the country’s only underground library, built over the tracks in the unused Bethnal Green tube station. Down here, a whole community thrives with thousands of bunk beds, a nursery, a café, and a theatre offering shelter, solace, and protection from the bombs that fall above.

Along with her glamorous best friend and library assistant Ruby Munroe, Clara ensures the library is the beating heart of life underground. But as the war rages on, the women’s determination to remain strong in the face of adversity is tested to the limits when it seems it may come at the price of keeping those closest to them alive.

My Thoughts

This delightful book will give you ALL the feelings. Part romance, part mystery, part feel-good story, it’s got everything. Character development is nicely done, and paired with a sometimes startling and lovely descriptive narrative.

The importance of books is underscored here in a more serious side to the story. History has shown us that, in wartime, libraries and books are often one of the first targets for destruction. Books are dangerous to fascists, despots, and tyrants because they contain ideas and stories of the good and the different and the beauty in the human race, which is a threat to those who wish to conquer.

For the people in this story, books were a lifeline to a country and lifestyle they hoped would not be destroyed, and one they desperately wanted back.

A beautiful reminder of the power of story.

Published By: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: February 21, 2023
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

General, Reading

On Book Clubs & Reading

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

I used to be a huge fan of book clubs, and loved running them when I was a practicing librarian. Over the years, my reading habits had become much more solitary and personal, where I’d read exactly what I wanted and that, my friends, is dangerous reading.

I found my reading so limited, generic, and easy that it wasn’t interesting anymore. I was reading in one lane and it was not only unchallenging but also insulating me from things happening around me. I know many people were in emotional overload and cocooned themselves after the Annus Horribilus of 2020. That’s where I was when 2021 began.

At the beginning of 2021, I decided to change my reading habits to include more challenging and unusual books. That continued through 2022, and was boosted considerably when I joined the Fantastic Strangelings Book Club, run by author and bookstore owner Jenny Lawson. You might know Lawson as The Bloggess or through her bestselling books like Furiously Happy. She also owns and operates the Nowhere Bookshop in San Antonio TX.

The Strangelings Book Club is entirely virtual and you can choose when and how to participate. Lawson selects and sends out one book a month, then will usually post her thoughts on social media, which results in lots of commentary and discussion from other Strangelings. Lawson’s selections are unusual and diverse; reading them has been uplifting, uncomfortable, and irresistible. Here are the selections I read in 2022 – all of them are recommended!

There are many other ways I could have connected to these books, but the Strangelings Book Club worked for me. I found the selection eclectic, thoughtful, very emotionally evocative, and a little bit strange. I learned about countries and cultures I knew nothing about and read genres I’d avoided. What I also rediscovered is that there are threads of living that are the same no matter who you are and where you live. Family relationships – parent and child, siblings, extended family, spouses and partners – are the common threads that bind us all together.

If you’re looking for a book club experience in 2023 and you live in the Rochester NY region, there are plenty of opportunities through the Monroe County Library System. There are also book discussions and plenty of author readings offered in Rochester’s indie bookshops. You should make a point to check out two of my favorites: Akimbo Books at 318b East Avenue in downtown Rochester, and Hipocampo Childrens Books at 638 South Avenue.

If you’re looking for something virtual, the Strangelings club is great, but there is a monthly fee for the book. I do also recommend the Litsy app, where you’ll find lots of virtual book clubs, challenges, and other fun reading activities.

Whatever process you use to select your next book to read, make a point to dip your toes in uncharted waters. Learn about other people and cultures and traditions. Revel in the glorious diversity of stories out there. And make sure to get and use a library card!

Books About Books, Makes You Think, Reading

A Saint in Swindon by Alice Jolly

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

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When a stranger arrives in town, with a bulging blue bag and a whiff of adventure, the neighborhood takes notice. When he asks for his meals to be sent to his room and peace and quiet for reading, curiosity turns to obsession. Each day he stays there, locked in his room, demanding books: Plath, Kafka, Orwell, Lawrence, Fitzgerald, James, Bronte (the eldest), Dickens, Dumas, Kesey – on and on, the stranger never leaving his room. Who exactly is he? What is he reading? And will it be able to save us from the terrible state of the world?

Written by award-winning author Alice Jolly, and based on an idea by the book lovers of Swindon town, this funny and, ultimately, dystopian tale, reminds us of the importance of literature in an increasingly dark world.

I don’t really know what to say about this odd little book except that it can’t be characterized. Is it dystopian? Is it chick lit? Is it speculative fiction? Is it satire? Is allegorical?

I think it’s ALL of the above and more.

The concept is intriguing. Some guy shows up at a B&B, retreats to his room and reads for days on end. The B&B hostess and her nosy friends feel they must read what the guest reads, so they discover classics like Thomas Hardy and Joseph Conrad. But, they cannot shake the idea that the guest is more than he appears and that his reading is somehow subversive. Eventually, their obsession with him destroys their society.

In the end, I was left thinking if it is possible to disrupt the natural order of things through reading. Throughout history, when a civilization is threatened or conquered, the first thing to go are the books, so yeah, I think it’s reasonable to say that reading can be subversive.  This would be a magnificent selection for book clubs, who could spend hours debating the meaning behind A Saint in Swindon.

Publication Date: April 15, 2020
Published By: Fairlight Books
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

Books About Books, Fairytales, Fantasy, Magical, Reading

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

cover165880-mediumFrom the Publisher: Zachary Ezra Rawlins is a graduate student in Vermont when he discovers a mysterious book hidden in the stacks. As he turns the pages, entranced by tales of lovelorn prisoners, key collectors, and nameless acolytes, he reads something strange: a story from his own childhood. Bewildered by this inexplicable book and desperate to make sense of how his own life came to be recorded, Zachary uncovers a series of clues–a bee, a key, and a sword–that lead him to a masquerade party in New York, to a secret club, and through a doorway to an ancient library hidden far below the surface of the earth.

What Zachary finds in this curious place is more than just a buried home for books and their guardians–it is a place of lost cities and seas, lovers who pass notes under doors and across time, and of stories whispered by the dead. Zachary learns of those who have sacrificed much to protect this realm, relinquishing their sight and their tongues to preserve this archive, and also of those who are intent on its destruction. Together with Mirabel, a fierce, pink-haired protector of the place, and Dorian, a handsome, barefoot man with shifting alliances, Zachary travels the twisting tunnels, darkened stairwells, crowded ballrooms, and sweetly soaked shores of this magical world, discovering his purpose–in both the mysterious book and in his own life.

This is a tough one for me. I confess, I did not love this book. I *liked* it well enough, but found the structure disconcerting. I sometimes struggle with focusing on books that alternate stories with each chapter, which is why this did not fully resonate with me. I kept wanting to read the Zachary Ezra Rawlins narrative and got annoyed that it kept being interrupted by the alternating fairytale chapters. Yes, it all comes together in the end, but the format kept me disconnected and made the narrative drag. It didn’t help that I was reading this in e-format. If I’d hard a print copy, I would have totally skipped around the chapters to satisfy my curiosity.

At the same time, this is a book filled with gorgeous language and description, the fairyland of my childhood dreams where one can get lost for centuries among all the stories in the world. Could there be a better place? I think not. I did enjoy the DungeonMaster/RPG approach to telling Zachary’s story, which at times made me feel as those I was inside the story, and I really enjoyed the characters.

I am 100% certain that fans of The Night Circus will eat this up. Morgenstern’s writing gets ALL the adjectives – lovely, luminous, lyrical, etc. and I predict this will appear on all the “Best of 2019” lists.

Publication Date: November 5, 2019
Published By: Doubleday
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

Reading

READO – Mystery & Suspense Authors

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

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