Book Review: 22 Seconds by James Patterson (Women's Murder Club #22)

22 Seconds by James Patterson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is #22 in the Women's Murder Club series, and I have read (and enjoyed) all of them. However, this particular story seemed particularly disjointed, and some of the sub-plots for the various murder club members seemed contrived and inserted after-the-fact. Several plot points differed throughout the book. The writing didn't even seem to be by the same authors. Overall, I was disappointed.

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Book Review: Bloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner

Bloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The setting is Bloomsbury Books in London, 5 years after the end of WWII. The story focuses on three strong, independent women who work in the shop and the many problems they encounter from the men they work with. The men are responsible for making all of the shop decisions, but our three heroines know how to make things happen behind the scenes! Once again this book brings together everything I love: books, bookstores, historical fiction and authors of that time period. All in all, a very charming read.

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Book Review: The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A fast-paced suspense novel set in and around the Boston Public Library. Four strangers are in the library researching and writing when a scream is heard. The usually silent reading room buzzes with conversation about the scream, and these four quickly form a friendship. The story-within-a-story in epistolary format gives an additional, unique perspective. This is quite a page-turner and I finished the book in about 36-hours, anxious to find out who-dunit! It had everything I look for in a book - mystery, books, libraries, writers, readers, red herrings. Many thanks for NetGalley for the ARC! Highly recommended!

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Book Review: A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny (Three Pines #4)

A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book #4 in the Armand Gamache series finds he and his wife taking a relaxing week's vacation at a luxurious yet remote inn in rural Quebec, not far from Three Pines. Of course there is a murder, and he is called upon to run the investigation. Jean Guy Beauvoir and Isabelle Lacoste assist the Chief Inspector and of course everything is solved in the end. There is such a strong sense in place in Louse Penny's writing. I would love to be transported to the delightful Manoir Bellechasse and spend a week enjoying all of the wonderful food!

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Book Review: Love & Saffron: A Novel of Friendship, Food, and Love by kim Fay

Love & Saffron: A Novel of Friendship, Food, and Love by Kim Fay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This charming epistolary book revolves around "friendship, food, and love." Set in the 1960s, a young woman living in Los Angeles writes a letter of admiration to a journalist living in Seattle. This starts a years-long very close friendship between the two women, focusing primarily on recipes, ethnic food, ingredients, and taste sensations. It is a very quick read and a wonderful escape from reality.

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Book Review: Cork Dork: A Wine-Fueled Adventure Among the Obsessive Sommeliers, Big Bottle Hunters, and Rogue Scientists Who Taught Me to Live for Taste by Bianca Bosker

Cork Dork: A Wine-Fueled Adventure Among the Obsessive Sommeliers, Big Bottle Hunters, and Rogue Scientists Who Taught Me to Live for Taste by Bianca Bosker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is a detailed, deep dive into wine and the lives of sommeliers. The author quit her job as a tech industry writer to spend a year learning about wine in order to take the sommelier certification exam. Reading the book helped me understand more about what goes into tasting and appreciating wine, and the role of the sommelier. After all of this, however, I still select my wines by the appeal of the label.

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