Book Review: The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 1/2 Stars.  Arthur Pepper is a widower whose wife, Miriam, died a year ago.  His world has gotten smaller and more self-centered - he stays at home except for infrequent trips to the grocery, thrives on routine, avoids his do-good neighbor Bernadette who brings him food, and occasionally talks to his adult daughter and son.  Everything changes when he discovers a hidden charm bracelet belonging to his wife that he didn't know she owned.  The charms reflect various aspects of her life - before she met Arthur.  He embarks on a quest to find out more about Miriam and her life  -- he journeys to London and Paris, talks to individuals in India and the local college to piece things together.

Throughout the book we follow Arthur trying to discover what Miriam was like before she met him, and not all of it was positive.  This is a book of love, loss, grief, discovery, hope, and ultimately personal growth.  Arthur is thrown into various uncomfortable situations as he is tracking down the background of each of the charms.  Yet he embraces each of them for what they tell him about his wife.  Overall, it's a feel-good book with a happy ending.  A perfect book to read at the end of 2025, and I'm looking forward to a discussion with my book club.  

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Book Review: The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Maggie and Ethan are both mystery / thriller authors working for the same publisher.  They have to accept an invitation from an elderly reclusive fan to join the family for Christmas.  

This book has a little bit of everything -- a Christmas house party at a remote English manor, a locked room mystery, a romance between co-workers, secret passageways, a huge snowstorm, a series of related clues, and more!  It was just the book that I needed to read this time of year, and I have been recommending it to all my bookish friends!  I am definitely looking forward to reading more of her books.

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Book Review: What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama

What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sayuri Komachi is a librarian working in Tokyo at a small community center library. She has the innate ability to translate what library customers are asking for and discover what information they really need in their lives. "What are you looking for?"

This novella is divided into five sections, each describing an individual who seeks out information at the library, meets Sayuri, and ends up with a life-changing book (plus a bonus gift of a small felted figure with each book list recommendation!). There are characters in each of the sections which then appear in other individual's narratives.

This is a charming, feel-good book was just the thing that I needed to read after a couple of tough reads. And being a librarian, I love the fact that a librarian is the hero of this book! Highly recommended, especially for those who love books about book and librarians!

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Book Review: The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann

The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The British naval ship, The Wager, was part of a group of five ships that set sail in 1740 from England on a mission around Cape Horn to capture some Spanish ships and retrieve their gold and silver.  The sailors encountered storms, sickness, starvation and more throughout their multi-year voyage.  

This is definitely the best narrative nonfiction book that I have ever read.  It's an understatement to say that it was a page-turner.  David Grann has extensively researched the ships, the individuals aboard the ships, the locations near Patagonia in South America, and makes the story come alive.  Bonus points for the fantastic maps included in the book; it was very easy to follow the ships' routes over the course of their journeys. 

I'm very anxious to talk about it with our book club this week.  And I will definitely be seeking out more books by this fantastic author.   

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Book Review: Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang

Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The entire world  is totally covered with giant smog blocking all sunlight which started in the central portion of the United States.  No food can be grown and the main character, a chef, moves from California to Europe in hopes of finding jobs and sources of food.  She applies for a job on the top of a mountain in Italy, lies on the application about her experience as a French chef, and is offered the job.  She is expected to create lavish multi-course meals for incredibly rich and pretentious individuals. 

I read this for one of my book clubs.  I really enjoyed the story lines about the main character's work as a chef and all the food preparation.  However, dystopic novels are definitely  not my cup of tea.  It took me almost three weeks to finish the book; I kept picking it up and then putting it down again, finding it challenging reading especially in the Thanksgiving season.

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Book Review: The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Aidan Bishop is attending a masquerade ball in the early 20th century at the Hardcastle Family's Blackheath Estate, which is a crumbling mansion on a large plot of land including a graveyard.  What he doesn't realize is that Evelyn Hardcastle will be killed and he is responsible for determining the murderer.  Over the course of the next eight days, he takes on the persona of each of the eight guests, trying to figure out their motives and movements over the course of one day. It is a ground-hog like scenario in which he inhabits a different 'host' each day.

This is exactly the type of book that I typically love.  However, I found it very difficult to follow.  Initially it is not apparent that Aidan Bishop is inhabiting each of the mansion's guests, changing them at the beginning of each new day.  Also, there is a large cast of characters; it is difficult to follow and keep all the characters straight.  It would probably benefit me to read the book again, knowing now what I know about the plot. However, it took me several weeks to plow through the book the first time.

Bonus points, however, for the map of the estate inside the front cover and even more bonus points for the Masquerade Ball invitation, which lists the Hardcastle hosts, the guests, and the household staff.  This was invaluable to me in keeping all the characters straight!  I referred to it constantly while reading the book.

To be honest, I think that it would be excellent as an original movie or multi-part streaming service show.  It has great similarities to the Knives Out movies and other streaming mysteries with large casts of characters.  I'm giving it four stars because of the unique premise and the fact that I'm a sucker for lavish British house party mysteries.  But just be aware of the length and complexities of the book before you embark on this 'masquerade mystery.'

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