brangwinn
King County Library System
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brangwinn's rating:
Added May 11, 2022
brangwinn's rating:
Added May 11, 2022
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Very powerfully told, this is the story of a black man who lived in rural south and moved north when he grew up. Raised by his grandma and grandpa, he thought being a man meant other family members were under his control. It wasn’t until his divorce and his estrangement from his gay son, along with cancer than made him turn inward and start looking at his own behaviors as causes for what happened to him. A friend gave him a copy of a Toni Morrison book to read, and it got him reading many more books about the black experience. But in the end, although he wanted to reunite with his son, he felt the damage been done and it was a useless gesture. A sad conclusion to the book filled with letters Jacob wrote to his son.Very powerfully told, this is the story of a black man who lived in rural south and moved north when he grew up. Raised by his grandma and grandpa, he thought being a man meant other family members were under his control. It wasn’t until his divorce…
How High We Go in the DarkHow High We Go in the Dark, BookA Novel
by Nagamatsu, SequoiaBook - 2022Book, 2022
brangwinn's rating:
Added Apr 24, 2022
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Beginning with scientists finding the body of a young girl who seems to share attributes with both Homo sapien and Neanderthal as well as genetic traits that are like a starfish or octopus. And worst of all, when she is brought to the surface, she unleashes a deadly virus. From there the book veers to an amusement park where children get one last day of fun before the virus kills them. Nagamatsu has a variety of characters, which voiced well in the audio version, but the story doesn’t go smoothy as the characters try to remember the past which is quickly disappearing and try to determine what their future will be. I found the book very depressing and while I made it to the end, where the book circles back to the beginning, but it’s not my kind of book.Beginning with scientists finding the body of a young girl who seems to share attributes with both Homo sapien and Neanderthal as well as genetic traits that are like a starfish or octopus. And worst of all, when she is brought to the surface, she…
brangwinn's rating:
Added Apr 24, 2022
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Regarded as one of Italy’s premier authors, Veronesi has detailed the family story of Marco Carrera. Called the Hummingbird because he can remain still and quiet while the world around him changes. He is a stoic but even so he loves life. He seems destined to lose people close to him and ends up raising his granddaughter after his daughter is unable to care for her. I found this a terribly sad book. The letters between Marco and Luisa were the one bright spot. Narration is excellent as the story is narrated by different voices and the narrators were spot on.Regarded as one of Italy’s premier authors, Veronesi has detailed the family story of Marco Carrera. Called the Hummingbird because he can remain still and quiet while the world around him changes. He is a stoic but even so he loves life. He seems…
brangwinn's rating:
Added Apr 24, 2022
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Garmus has a doozy in her debut novel about a pretty woman who is a chemist, but who in the 1960’s can see a woman any place but in the home baking for her husband? Meet Elizabeth Zott, a woman who lost her chance at a PhD in Chemistry because she refused to let a professor have sex with her. She manages to get a low-level job in a research company, but the head of the chemistry department plans to keep her in her place, getting coffee and running errands rather than doing the important research she wants to do. Falling in love with a fellow chemist, she refuses to marry him and wants to be burdened with no children. She’s happy living with him, keeping her own name, but right after her partner’s death she discovers she’s pregnant. She’s fired from her job because she’s unmarried and pregnant. She struggles to make ends meet and when her baby girl is born, its only because of the kindness of a neighbor who helps her deal with single parenthood that she copes. As Madeline grows older and displays the same determination and intelligence as her mother, both irk the classroom teacher who sees no place for women in the work force. She’s forced to take a job hosting a half-hour cooking show on a local television station. Despite the efforts of the programing boss, the program succeeds beyond expectation, leading to syndication. Elizabeth isn’t happy, though, and yearns to return to research. There’s humor anger and lot to say about women in the story. If you are a fan of Where’d You Go, Bernadette (Maria Semple), you’ll enjoy this book. The characters in Lessons in Chemistry are perfect material for a movie.Garmus has a doozy in her debut novel about a pretty woman who is a chemist, but who in the 1960’s can see a woman any place but in the home baking for her husband? Meet Elizabeth Zott, a woman who lost her chance at a PhD in Chemistry because she…
brangwinn's rating:
Added Apr 24, 2022
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Anne Tyler continues to bring the everyday family to life, with all its disfunctions and love. The Garretts live in Baltimore. Robin runs the family plumbing store, although the store is in his wife, Mercy’s name and they live in the house Mercy grew up in. Mercy, isn’t the model wife. She’s not a great cook. She would rather be painting. It’s 1959 and Mercy and Robin have two girls. The older girl, Alice, seems to be more a mother figure than Mercy. The younger girl, Lilly, is boy crazy, and flighty. David, the youngest of the three children struggles to find his place in the family. His father loves working with his hands, but David is much more interested in theater and reading. The story follows the family as the children marry and have children of their own. David’s wife, Greta, sums up the family relationship best when she says “That’s how families work. You think you’re free of them, but you’re never really free…this is what families do for each other—hide a few uncomfortable truths, allow a few self-deceptions. Little kindnesses.”Anne Tyler continues to bring the everyday family to life, with all its disfunctions and love. The Garretts live in Baltimore. Robin runs the family plumbing store, although the store is in his wife, Mercy’s name and they live in the house Mercy…
brangwinn's rating:
Added Apr 24, 2022
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Cheung’s memoir gives me a much more realistic view of what Hong Kong was like before and after the return of the island to China. She shows us why Hong Kong residents choose to stay rathe than flee. Cheung was 4 years old when the British returned the city to China. Her coming-of-age story seems to be that of the city’s coming of age. Frustrated and coping with depression, Cheung paints a stark picture of life under communist rule. She continually confronts readers with the resistance to injustice. The underground places Cheung takes her readers shows a Hong Kong I knew nothing about.Cheung’s memoir gives me a much more realistic view of what Hong Kong was like before and after the return of the island to China. She shows us why Hong Kong residents choose to stay rathe than flee. Cheung was 4 years old when the British returned…
brangwinn's rating:
Added Apr 24, 2022
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Rich with magic and lush descriptions, the stories of Darwin and Yeliji are told. They both have something the other needs. Darwin, who’s lack of money forces him to take a job in the Port Angeles, Trinidad as grave digger in the old Catholic cemetery. He has no connection to his mother and is convince he can find the father he never knew. Yejide’s mother is dying and she introduces Yejide to the family legacy of talking to the dead. While American reader may have difficulty in adjusting to the Trinidadian English dialect, it’s worth reading to the end. It will be a roller coaster of a ride, from depression and loss to triumph and an affirmation of hope.Rich with magic and lush descriptions, the stories of Darwin and Yeliji are told. They both have something the other needs. Darwin, who’s lack of money forces him to take a job in the Port Angeles, Trinidad as grave digger in the old Catholic…
Harvey and the Collection of Impossible ThingsHarvey and the Collection of Impossible Things, Book
by Weyr, GarretBook - 2022Book, 2022
brangwinn's rating:
Added Apr 24, 2022
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Harvey is a city cat struggling to stay alive. He’s not the most courageous cat, which in the world of feral animals can be a danger. When the woman in the blue shirt “adopts” him and lets him live on the roof of her apartment building he learns kindness is as important as courage. He likes having someone to depend on. As Harvey tells his story, he introduces the reader to the friends he has. The three sparrows and Chester, the dog, with his wise advice are true friends. This is a solid beginning chapter book that would provide a great prompt for writing a story from a single point of view.Harvey is a city cat struggling to stay alive. He’s not the most courageous cat, which in the world of feral animals can be a danger. When the woman in the blue shirt “adopts” him and lets him live on the roof of her apartment building he learns…
brangwinn's rating:
Added Apr 08, 2022
Comment:
I loved this audio version. Rachel Atkins has done an admirable job conveying the emotion and the wide variety of voices. The fifth book in the series finds Louisa and Guy married with a small child. Guy has left the police force and is focusing on the private detective agency the two of them run. Louisa is still caught up in the Mitford family lives as she is called to find the youngest daughter, Decca, who has run away to Spain and join the Communist war efforts in 1937. She plans to marry her cousin. While looking for Decca, Louisa also takes on the case of a missing woman and in the search discovers another missing woman. The search sends Guy and Louisa to France where Louisa hears a startling confession and must decide which is the greater of two evils.I loved this audio version. Rachel Atkins has done an admirable job conveying the emotion and the wide variety of voices. The fifth book in the series finds Louisa and Guy married with a small child. Guy has left the police force and is focusing on…
brangwinn's rating:
Added Apr 08, 2022
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Best-selling author Wendy Corsi Staub has written nearly 90 novels, most of which are suspense novels. Nora, Keith and their two girls have moved from trendy Los Angeles to New York City for a year. They’ve moved into a Brooklyn row house and all are making friends. From Nora, we learn that all is not well, that she is hiding something from her past. When a weird man, Jacob, starts following their daughter and calling her Anne, the name of a young woman who was murdered in 1994, Nora realizes its time to come to terms with her past and save her daughter. The storyline is complex, but the story moves smoothly with readers easily transitioning all the different threads that are thrown out in the story.Best-selling author Wendy Corsi Staub has written nearly 90 novels, most of which are suspense novels. Nora, Keith and their two girls have moved from trendy Los Angeles to New York City for a year. They’ve moved into a Brooklyn row house and all…
brangwinn's rating:
Added Apr 08, 2022
brangwinn's rating:
Added Apr 08, 2022
Comment:
JP Beaumont returns to help right another crime. He’s the house husband while his wife, Mel, continues to tackle the issues of being police chief in Bellingham Washington. During a snowstorm, Beau meets with the son of his murdered police partner, Sue Danielson. Jared is trying to find out if his younger brother, Chris, is still alive. Last known address was Homer Alaska. Beau heads to Anchorage and another snowstorm forces him to find a driver familiar with driving in Alaska’s winters. Twink Winkleman and her old International Harvester, Mabel, come to his rescue. Twink is one of those true Alaska characters. Crusty on the outside but compassionate on the inside. With the help of another original character, Professor Harriet Raines, a cigar smoking head of Alaska’s Department of Forensic Anthropology. She can connect the skull of a young man to that of Chris. With Twink as his driver, Beau heads to Homer to find out what happens, and its far more devious that he anticipates. The twenty-fifth Beaumont book has strong, quirky, crusty characters among its strongest attributes.JP Beaumont returns to help right another crime. He’s the house husband while his wife, Mel, continues to tackle the issues of being police chief in Bellingham Washington. During a snowstorm, Beau meets with the son of his murdered police partner,…
brangwinn's rating:
Added Apr 08, 2022
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The book begins with a scene of death—or at least a scream and lots of blood. Rachel and Tully’s father is getting married to a woman their age. Their mother, who had dementia, is wandering around with a candlestick. As the guests are ushered out, there is lots of speculation as to who was killed. Then the story moves backwards, as Tully, Rachel and their new stepmother, Heather, tell their stories. Tully and Rachel come to the realization that their surgeon father, has been hiding a terrible truth and Rachel is forced to come to terms with being raped as a teenager but never shared. Heather and Tully also have problems they are forced to come to grips with as the mystery unfolds and a very dysfunctional family is disclosed.The book begins with a scene of death—or at least a scream and lots of blood. Rachel and Tully’s father is getting married to a woman their age. Their mother, who had dementia, is wandering around with a candlestick. As the guests are ushered out,…
brangwinn's rating:
Added Apr 08, 2022
Comment:
Vuong’s second book of poetry deals with the way the passage of time impacts relationships between people. Both sad and happy, violent and gentle, his poems reflect such experiences as shoveling snow with a loved one in “Nothing”. He draws on his own experiences, but the themes explored are universal.Vuong’s second book of poetry deals with the way the passage of time impacts relationships between people. Both sad and happy, violent and gentle, his poems reflect such experiences as shoveling snow with a loved one in “Nothing”. He draws on his…
brangwinn's rating:
Added Apr 08, 2022
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Lucy Foley writes outstanding mystery thrillers and she’s back with one that meets the expectations set by the previous books. Jess arrives in Paris to find her brother missing. He’s offered her a place to live while she gets her life together. She can get into her brother's apartment and finds there’s a creepy secret hidden by the family who lives there. The more she looks for the answer to her missing brother the more she finds herself in danger with no idea who to believe. And when she discovers the secret the wealthy family who lives in the apartment building is hiding, it becomes front page news in the Paris papers.Lucy Foley writes outstanding mystery thrillers and she’s back with one that meets the expectations set by the previous books. Jess arrives in Paris to find her brother missing. He’s offered her a place to live while she gets her life together. She…
A Game of FearA Game of Fear, BookAn Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery
by Todd, CharlesBook - 2022Book, 2022
brangwinn's rating:
Added Apr 02, 2022
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The 24th book in the Ian Rutledge series, takes place in 1921. Rutledge, as always is accompanied by the specter of his friend, Hamish, who died in WWI. Hamish serves as Rutledge’s sounding board and conscience. Although Rutledge wasn’t aware of why he had these horrid memories of WWI, today we can see that he suffered from PSTD. Rutledge is called to a small coastal town where a WWI airfield was located. He’s there because a friend of higher-ups in Scotland Yard, Lady Benton, says she saw a murder committed by a dead man. No body was discovered, but as Rutledge wades into the investigation, he discovers there’s murder involved by not done by a dead man. Although there are many different threads spreading out in the story, Todd (the pen name for a mother-son writing team) pulls them all together. Along with all the dead-end leads, Rutledge follows before solving the case, readers learn that his attraction to Kate Gordon continues to grow, as hinted at in previous books. At the end of the book, readers discover that he is being promoted to Chief Inspector, despite the animosity of his boss Markham. In the beginning of the book, readers are told of the death of the co-author’s mother and although the book’s ending indicates more to come, one wonders if the direction of the books might change.The 24th book in the Ian Rutledge series, takes place in 1921. Rutledge, as always is accompanied by the specter of his friend, Hamish, who died in WWI. Hamish serves as Rutledge’s sounding board and conscience. Although Rutledge wasn’t aware of why…
brangwinn's rating:
Added Apr 02, 2022
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If you like the television series Downton Abbey, you will enjoy Hotel Portofino. Even though the hotel on the Italian coast has been open for just a few weeks, problems abound. Bella Ainsworth, who has opened the hotel on the Italian Riviera, welcomes a variety of well-heeled English people. Its during the rise of Mussolini after the First World War. Her son, Lucian, suffers PTSD, and is looking for his way in the world, while being ridiculed by his father. This is stressing for Bella as is the slow crumbling to her husband, an upper crust Englishman, who thinks money his wife wants to use to improve the hotel is for him. The setting is lush. And just like Downton Alley the strength of the story relies on the strength of the characters, both the wealthy and the servants. The audio version, narrated by Esther Wane, is well done. Wane has the ability of portray a variety of female, male and Italian voices. I really look forward to the TV series.If you like the television series Downton Abbey, you will enjoy Hotel Portofino. Even though the hotel on the Italian coast has been open for just a few weeks, problems abound. Bella Ainsworth, who has opened the hotel on the Italian Riviera,…
brangwinn's rating:
Added Apr 02, 2022
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St. Simon has returned with another creepy psychological thriller. Claire Lake, Oregon an idyllic town on the Pacific coast was rocked by the cold-blooded murders of two men in 1977. The suspect, Beth, is a young woman who was seen at the site of one of the murders. She’s inherited a lot of money from her parents and can hire a lawyer who masterminded her acquittal. Fast forward to 2017 when Shea, receptionist by day and the creator of website, The Book of Cold Cases, by night, meets Beth. Beth agrees to be interviewed by Shea in the scary old home she’s basically kept as a museum of life in 1977. The ghost of Beth’s dead half-sister becomes involved, and the story really gets creepy and Shea finds herself in danger.St. Simon has returned with another creepy psychological thriller. Claire Lake, Oregon an idyllic town on the Pacific coast was rocked by the cold-blooded murders of two men in 1977. The suspect, Beth, is a young woman who was seen at the site of…
Murder at the Porte De VersaillesMurder at the Porte De Versailles, Book
by Black, CaraBook - 2022Book, 2022
brangwinn's rating:
Added Apr 02, 2022
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In the 20th book in the Aimee Leduc Investigations series, Aimee and friends are celebrating her daughter, Chloe’s, third birthday. Only two months after 9/11, Paris is on edge. When Boris realizes he left Chloe’s gift back at the police station he hurries back to get it, only to be caught in a police lab bombing. He’s considered a prime suspect and Amie and her partner rush to help prove Boris was not the bomber. As a reader of very few Aimee Leduc mysteries, I was often confused about who was who. If this is you first Leduc mystery, chose earlier mysteries to start with.In the 20th book in the Aimee Leduc Investigations series, Aimee and friends are celebrating her daughter, Chloe’s, third birthday. Only two months after 9/11, Paris is on edge. When Boris realizes he left Chloe’s gift back at the police station he…
brangwinn's rating:
Added Apr 02, 2022
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When Nell, a young woman who along with her brother, ekes out a living in the Victorian flower industry, is sold by her father to a traveling circus, her life is going to change for the better. Nell, covered with large birthmarks, becomes the star attraction in Jasper Jupiter’s circus of freaks. As her popularity rises, Jupiter becomes jealous. When she’s invited for a private audience with Queen Victoria and he isn’t, things get rough for Nell. To complicate things even further, she finds love and support in Jupiter’s brother, Toby. Toby is considered to be a dullard. He's large and boring, needing his brother’s approval and love. Jupiter, because of his debt to a loan shark, needs to make his circus even more spectacular and gets rid of Nell. Toby would like nothing better than to move to a remote cottage with a blue door and have a family with Nell, but Nell has been pulled into the lure of showmanship and she and several other women from the circus form their own traveling show. Macneal does an excellent job showing how circus owners, including PT Barnum, exploited people in their quest for fame and fortune. And yet for most of these “freaks” their lives are much better than before they became part of the circus.When Nell, a young woman who along with her brother, ekes out a living in the Victorian flower industry, is sold by her father to a traveling circus, her life is going to change for the better. Nell, covered with large birthmarks, becomes the star…
brangwinn's rating:
Added Mar 19, 2022
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Wilkerson has created a powerful story about two siblings. When Byron and Benny’s mother dies, she leaves behind a recording of her life. It completely unsettles the brother and sister who had no idea their mother had a hidden life and that they had another sister. Their mother, originally named Covey, was born on a small Caribbean Island. When forced into marriage by her father, she manages to run away to England. That’s just beginning of their mother’s heartbreaking story and why her recipe for Black Cake (a fruitcake made with rum) is so important to their family. This is a deeply moving story as the siblings learn about their true heritage and try to recreate the bond they had as children. Shifting between timelines and point of view, the story is a rewarding one about families and secrets.Wilkerson has created a powerful story about two siblings. When Byron and Benny’s mother dies, she leaves behind a recording of her life. It completely unsettles the brother and sister who had no idea their mother had a hidden life and that they had…
brangwinn's rating:
Added Mar 19, 2022
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Cantor has presented a different perspective on the Great Gatsby as she looks at the story through the eyes of Daisy, and other women connected to Jay Gatsby’s life. The story revolves around who really killed Jay Gatsby. A detective has been hired by a friend of Jay’s who doesn’t believe the real killer has been found. While F. Scott Fitzgerald may have portrayed the women as fools, Cantor sets out to prove there was much more than beauty to Gatsby’s women. Seeing Daisy’s loveless marriage to Tom Buchanan from Daisy’s eyes is an eye-opener. Cantor proves that girls are not the “beautiful little fools” portrayed in the Fitzgerald’s novel.Cantor has presented a different perspective on the Great Gatsby as she looks at the story through the eyes of Daisy, and other women connected to Jay Gatsby’s life. The story revolves around who really killed Jay Gatsby. A detective has been hired…
The Department of Rare Books and Special CollectionsThe Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, BookA Novel
by Jurczyk, EvaBook - 2022Book, 2022
brangwinn's rating:
Added Mar 19, 2022
brangwinn's rating:
Added Mar 19, 2022
Comment:
Adapted from the 2020 adult version, Saad had created a guide for young people who want to see changes made. Its methodical in connecting white supremacy and racism. One of the strongest features is the essential vocabulary she lays out both historical and contempory. Including reflective questions and how to organize, Saad has created a book that would make a good group discussion book for kids wanting to make a difference.Adapted from the 2020 adult version, Saad had created a guide for young people who want to see changes made. Its methodical in connecting white supremacy and racism. One of the strongest features is the essential vocabulary she lays out both…
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