Follow:
Topics:
Browsing Tag:

author

    Reading Wednesday

    Book Review Cabin by Patrick Hutchison

    May 28, 2025
    by
    /
    Leave a Comment
    /
    0 Comments

    The subtitle of this book, which I listened to on Audible, is Off the Grid Adventures with a Clueless Craftsman. What could be more intriguing than that? Not to mention, this is a true story based in my home region of the Pacific Northwest. Here is my book review Cabin by Patrick Hutchison.

    Wit’s End

    The name of the street (if that’s what you can call it) is a perfect precursor to Hutchison’s project. A project on street named Wit’s End to acquire and make liveable (kinda) an off-grid cabin in the rainy and rural Cascade Mountain region about an hour from Seattle.

    Searching

    Hutchison, a single young man, stuck behind a desk with dreams for being a writer. Searching for something more, Hutchison decides on a whim to purchase a ramshackle cabin with no power or plumbing for $7000. He doesn’t have $7000 but his mom gives him a loan, and thus begins a six year adventure to bring the cabin to a place worthy of Hutchison’s dreams.


    Cabin

    Cabin is not just about a young man tackling a construction project, or biting off more than he can chew. Cabin is more. It’s about finding oneself, being resourceful, true friendship, and finding potential in the smallest things. Reminiscent of Bill Bryson, Patrick Hutchison is surprisingly honest and open about the experience. Hutchison writes with humor and hindsight about all the highs and lows of the renovation project. The story reflects on growth, worry and joy – all emotions Cabin brought to Patrick’s life.

    Book Review Cabin by Patrick Hutchison

    I laughed out loud to this book and enjoyed this story very much. Having done my own share of renovations and because I call the Pacific Northwest home, I identified closely with this story.

    ****Four stars for Cabin by Patrick Hutchison. See last week’s book review The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kajin.

    We love it when you comment, share and pin our book reviews. Thank you.

    Share:
    Leave a comment
    Reading Wednesday

    Book Review The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali

    May 21, 2025
    by
    /
    Leave a Comment
    /
    0 Comments

    What does it mean to be or have a true friend? One who forgives and still loves? This is the theme of this novel. A beautifully written story of devotion and love of friends and country. Here is my book review The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali.

    Friendship

    It’s the 1950’s in Iran, and little Ellie has a privledged life in a beautiful home with her domineering and narsisstic mother. Her mom, constantly claiming to be of royal blood, looks down on most people. Ellie is a lonesome girl and just wants a friend.

    Ellie’s father dies suddenly and she and her mother lose all of their wealth and security, and move to the poor side of town.

    When Ellie makes friends with Homa at her new school, Ellie see’s another kind of simplier life, with kind, caring parents who welcome Ellie into their humble home. Her friend Homa shows Ellie what a true friend can be, and helps Ellie come out of her shell. But Ellie’s mother looks down on Homa and Homa’s family and decides to take extreme measures to get Ellie out of the neighborhood.

    A Different Life

    Ellie’s mother marries the brother of her dead husband and once again Ellie finds herself in a mansion and opulent school. Years go buy and beautiful Ellie is “queen” of the school. She is slowly falling for a nice boy, when one day Homa arrives at the school too. Expecting to pick up their friendship where it left off, Ellie is conflicted by her old friend and her new status.

    Coming of Age

    The two young women with very different political views will come of age during the tumoltuous 60’s, 70’s and 80’s of Iran. Finding different paths for their beliefs. When Ellie makes an innocent statement in what she believes is an innocuous conversation, Homa’s life will change forever, and Ellie will live with the guilt of that night and her naivety.

    The Lion Women of Tehran

    Ellie and her husband will go to New York for him to take a tempory job. And soon after the Shaw of Iran flees the country and the Ayatolla Khomeini takes over. Women in Iran lose most rights and now are required to wear the Hajib. Ellie and her husband never return to Iran. Homa continues her political fight despite being raped, beaten and imprisoned.

    When Homa reaches out to Ellie after years of silence, Ellie’s continued guilt resurfaces for her old friend. Homa will ask Ellie for the ultimate favor. What can Elllie do but say yes?

    A story of deep friendship, political uncertainty, female strength and the ultimate sacrafice. A sweeping saga of courage and destiny and the different paths that each can take.

    *****Five stars for the Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali.

    Thank you for reading my Book Review The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali. See last week’s book review Love and Other Consolation Prizes by Jamie Ford.

    We always appreciate your pins, shares and comments about our book reviews. Thank you.

    Share:
    Leave a comment
    Reading Wednesday

    Book Review Love and Other Consolation Prizes by Jamie Ford

    May 14, 2025
    by
    /
    Leave a Comment
    /
    2 Comments

    Jamie Ford’s first novel The Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet was a wildly successful novel. Based on the Japanese experience during WWII and set in Seattle. This novel I am reviewing today, is also based in Seattle. It conjures so many memories for me growing up in the Pacific Northwest. Here is my Book Review Love and Other Consolation Prizes by Jamie Ford.

    Jamie Ford

    Wait. What? I went to Ford’s bio when writing this book review. And I learned he actually grew up in the town I currently reside – Port Orchard Washington. I was totally taken off-guard;

    “Jamie Ford was born on July 9, 1968, in Eureka, California, but grew up in Ashland, Oregon, and Port Orchard and Seattle, Washington. His father, a Seattle native, is of Chinese ancestry, while Ford’s mother is of European descent.”

    Okay, interesting little tidbit that makes this book even more personal. If you liked The Hotel At the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, I am sure you will enjoy Ford’s book Love and Other Consolation Prizes.

    Worlds Fair

    Love and Other Consolation Prizes explores the Asian experience in Seattle, beginning with the Great Alaska Yukon Exposition of 1909. The Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition (AYPE), was held in Seattle from June 1 to October 16, 1909. It followed on the heels of the 1905 Lewis and Clark Exposition in Portland, Oregon.

    It’s here we meet young Ernest. He has already had a treacherous journey to the United States, lucky to still be alive. Taken under the wing of an evangelical women, Ernest is placed in a christian school. Then without his knowledge he is used as a “prize” in a raffle. Promoted as “a healthy boy to a good home” at the AYPE. The winning raffle ticket goes to a local well-known “madam” of a high class Seattle brothel.

    Love

    Ernest is very happy with his new position as a houseboy at the brothel. He feels at home for the first time in his life. He befriends the Madams daughter Maisie and “working girl” Fahn and finds himself in love with both girls.

    Consolation Prizes

    In 1962 the Seattle World’s Fair is opening and Ernest is now an old man. He lives in a tiny apartment alone. His wife lives with his daughter who cares for her ailing mother with dementia. Ernest carries secrets from his childhood he has never shared with anyon. Secrets that bubble to the surface with the opening of the worlds fair.

    When his journalist daughter begins to ask questions for a news story, Ernest is thrown back in time. Confliced by memories of a remarkable life, a remarkable love, and a consolation prize unimaginable. Ernest must face his personal Love and Other Consolation Prizes.

    Love and Other Consolation Prizes

    This is an easy read full of emotion that looks at the Asian immigrant experience in the Seattle area. I enjoyed this book very much and should be a read by anyone growing up in Seattle.

    *****Five stars for Love and Other Consolation Prizes by Jamie Ford.

    See last week’s Book Review The Measure by Nikki Erlick. Thanks for reading my book review Love and Other Consolation Prizes by Jamie Ford.

    We really appreciate it when you pin, share and comment on our book reviews. Thank you.

    Share:
    Leave a comment
    Reading Wednesday

    Book Review The Measure by Nikki Erlick

    May 7, 2025
    by
    /
    Leave a Comment
    /
    0 Comments

    Surprising. A unique plot that brings the reader intimately into the lives of eight people, and the decisions each make that defines the measure of life. Here is my book review The Measure by Nikki Erlick.

    An Ordinary Morning

    It’s an ordinary morning like any other. Or is it? Around the world, whether you live in a high rise apartment, a slum dwelling, or a sailboat, each person on earth wakes to the same thing. A box. Some people will open the box. Some people never will. But inside the box is a piece of string…the measure of ones life.

    Worldwide

    Governments and scientists analyze the strings while society goes into a confused and frightened state of awareness. What can it mean? Do you want to know? Do you really want to know how long you will live? What would you do differently if you knew the answer to this question?

    The Measure

    Erlick’s debut novel looks at how society as a whole, and individuals, deal with a lifeline knowledge. The novel explores families, couples, politics and friendship and how these relationships change when you possess a knowledge never imagined before.

    I enjoyed this story despite it’s lack of reality. What it brings is a magical essence to how people view their lives and the value each person puts on relationships and our individual existence. Both sad and uplifting The Measure is a perfect read for the times we are living in.

    Book Review The Measure by Nikki Erlick

    *****Five Stars for The Measure by Nikki Erlick. Thank you for reading my Book Review The Measure by Nikki Erlick. Read last week’s book review Next Year in Havanna by Chanel Cleeton.

    We love it when you pin, share and comment on or book reviews. Thank you.

    Share:
    Leave a comment
    Reading Wednesday

    Book Review Saving Ellen by Maura Casey

    April 16, 2025
    by
    /
    Leave a Comment
    /
    0 Comments

    The coming of age story is a frequent plot line in many novels. But this story is not fiction. Saving Ellen is a memoir of a large Irish family, growing up in the sixties and dealing with terminal illness. Here is my book review Saving Ellen by Maura Casey.

    Buffalo New York

    As adults, we all look back on our childhood from a vantage point unimagined while we were living it. Maura Casey takes advantage of her long career as a journalist and editorial writer for the New York Times to eloquently describe the tumultuous years of her own growing up, using humor and brutal honesty as she looks back.

    A working-class Irish family in the 60’s and 70’s in Buffalo New York is not so hard to imagine for most of us. But the chaos this family lived through, due to terminal illness of one of their own, might be. And if you have struggled with caring for a family member who is chronically ill, you will identify closely with this family.

    Sisters

    Saving Ellen presents Maura’s memories of her childhood, and her close relationship with her older irrepressible sister Ellen. When Ellen is diagnosed with kidney disease, the entire family and their world will begin to revolve around “saving Ellen”.

    Though Maura realizes the importance of focusing on Ellen’s illness and recovery, she finds herself with her own quiet youthful struggles and nowhere to turn. She internalizes things that are happening to her (including a sexual assault) in an effort to not cause the family more angst. She wants her beloved sister to get well, but also resents the mayhem Ellen’s health has created for the family.

    Family

    Maura’s father is a well known philanderer and drunk, while her mother is the champion for Ellen and the family. Focused and determined, Maura’s mother will risk her own long-term health to save Ellen by donating a kidney during a time when this procedure was dangerous and uncommon.

    Tumultuous

    In an already tumultuous time period in America, this family lives through a family crisis, held together by their love and determination for each other – and a smart, strong and determined mother. Tragic and uplifting, with moments of humor and gratitude – Saving Ellen is a beautiful story of family ties.

    ****Four stars for Saving Ellen by Maura Casey. Thank you for reading my book review Saving Ellen by Maura Casey. See last week’s book review Nightwatch by Jayne Ann Philips.

    I received this book, Saving Ellen by Maura Casey, gratis from Books Forward.

    We love it when you pin, share, comment on our book reviews. Thank you.

    Share:
    Leave a comment
    Reading Wednesday

    Book Review Night Watch by Jayne Anne Phillips

    April 9, 2025
    by
    /
    Leave a Comment
    /
    0 Comments

    Night Watch is a story of the chaotic aftermath of the Civil War. The novel won the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Literature. Published in 2023 it is a work of historical fiction. Here is my book review Night Watch by Jayne Anne Phillips.

    Coming of Age

    This is another coming of age story. We meet 12 year-old ConaLee who tends to all aspects of her family in the rural cabin post Civil War. ConaLee cares for her sick mother and three baby siblings as well as her abusive and tyrannical “Papa”. ConaLee does not remember the time before the war, or when her mother was not ill.

    Mental Illness

    This novel looks at how trauma, abuse and grief can result in depression and mental illness. It explores through the eyes of ConaLee what life inside the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum might have been like.

    Memory Loss

    “Papa” drops ConaLee and Eliza at the door of the Asylum and drives off leaving them abandoned. The pair will be met by the Night Watch, a man named O’Shea. He wears an eye patch and has a serious head injury from The War. Unknown to ConaLee, he is tied to her and her mother in a very deep and surprising way. Can Eliza come out of her deep depression? Can O’Shea retrieve his lost memories? And can this happen in time for all to reconcile the past, the war and find a way forward?

    Book Review Night Watch by Jayne Anne Phillips

    There are some wicked characters in this book. Phillips has a great writing style to describe the horrors of war and the chaos that followed. There are also some endearing characters in this book, particularly the strong-willed and determined ConaLee. My criticism of the book is that there are several coincidences the move the plot forward. I found those coincidences a bit far-fetched. But the novel is a beautiful chronicle of surviving when all seems to be lost.

    ****Four stars for Night Watch by Jayne Anne Phillips.

    Thank you for reading my book review Night Watch by Janye Anne Phillips. See last week’s book review Long Island by Colm Toibin.

    We appreciate it when you comment and share our book reviews. Thank you.

    Share:
    Leave a comment
    Reading Wednesday

    Book Review Go As A River by Shelley Read

    March 26, 2025
    by
    /
    Leave a Comment
    /
    0 Comments

    This is a beautiful coming of age story set in the high mountains of Colorado post WWII. Here is my book review Go As A River by Shelley Read

    Love

    Love grows in many ways; between people, for the land, for family, for nature, for a way of life. At the heart of this story is love.

    Read introduces us to Victoria -Torie- a 17 year old girl. Following the death of her mother Torie is thrust into the role of running the household on her family’s peach farm in rural Iola Colorado. There is no way you can read this book and not fall in love with the protagonist Victoria, with her naivety, optimism and unbridled love for so many things.

    Wil

    Torie will meet Wil one random day on the street corner, and her life will be changed forever. Their short but intense love story will redirect Victoria’s life and the lives of her remaining family; father and brother. When Torie looses Wil, she will re chart her life with the resolution and will of an entire army on her solo journey into the future.

    Iola

    Based on events surrounding the real-life town of Iola Colorado, and the flooding and destruction of the town when a dam was built on the river in the 1960’s. Go As A River uses this event to showcase the determination and strength of one woman in the face of loss of everything she has ever loved.

    Book Review Go As A River by Shelley Read

    *****Five stars for Go As A River. Thank you for reading my book review Go As a River by Shelley Read.

    See last week’s book review The Briar Club by Kate Quinn.

    Thank you for sharing our book reviews.

    Go As A River by Shelley Read
    Share:
    Leave a comment