Book Review: Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

(4 1/2 stars) June Hayward and Athena Liu are both young novelists who meet at Yale. They both end up in Washington, D.C. and become the kind of friends who do things together but are not very close. I don't think it's a spoiler to indicate that Athena dies in a freak accident and June steals the manuscript that she has just completed (this all happens in the first chapter and is included in the book blurb). June researches and re-writes much of the manuscript, publishing it as her own without attribution to Athena. The book is wildly successful, prompting fame, fortune and book tours for June.

This book gives the reader an inside peek at the publishing industry: agents, editors, marketing, and the role of social media. It is incredibly fast paced and quite a page turner. There are twists and turns in June's life after the publication of this book and it shows the life of an author in the spotlight. There are themes of plagiarism, racism, and competition, as well as comparing yourself to others when you are lacking the success you think you deserve. None of the characters are very likable, but that didn't stop me from devouring the book. R.F. Kuang indicated that the book is meant to be read in one sitting, which I agree with. This book is highly recommended!!

It's very interesting that I read this book for one of my book clubs, and read The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz for another one of my book clubs - both book clubs meeting this week! While both discuss plagiarism, one is the theft of an idea (The Plot) and the other is a stolen manuscript (Yellowface). For more information and analysis of Yellowface, read the reviews on Goodreads - they are the most extensive and informative reviews I have ever seen!

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Book Review: Ward D by Freida McFadden

Ward D by Freida McFadden
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ward D is a fast-paced suspense / thriller, with Freida McFadden's trademarks of twists and turns, red herrings, and story line surprises. Amy Brenner is a third year medical student doing her psychiatry rotation. Up until now she has been shadowing a psychiatrist who treats outpatient individuals with sleep disorders. However, she will have to spend a 12-hour shift on the inpatient psychiatry ward at the hospital. Unsettling things happen, patients and staff are not what they seem to be, and worst of all her childhood best friend is a patient on the ward.

There are too many coincidences -- no computers, no phone system, the exit door code is wrong, cell phone service is not available, no cameras in the isolation rooms, etc. There are also too many unnecessary deaths (content warnings apply!). Overall it is a very unsympathetic representation of the mentally ill and those health care professionals dedicated to their care, which is disappointing considering that the author is a physician.

In spite of these opinions, I raced through the book just to find out what happened! I've really enjoyed her other books, but unfortunately this one was not nearly as good, in my opinion. I'll be very interested in hearing others' opinions at our book club tomorrow.

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Book Review: The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis

The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This historical fiction novel of the Frick Collection is told in dual timelines in alternating chapters.  In 1919 the Frick family - Henry Clay Frick, wife Adelaide, and daughter Helen Clay Frick - is in residence with all their servants.  Lillian Carter, also known as Angelica, is a model and muse for many sculptures in New York City.  She takes a job as Miss Helen's private secretary, and helps her start the Frick Art Reference / Research Library adjacent to the mansion.

In 1966 Veronica Web is a model from England who snagged a job with Vogue in the Frick Collection.  She is stranded in the house in the middle of a snowstorm after the other models and photographers have left.  Joshua is a part-time Frick archivist and provides her with his extensive knowledge of the family and the house.  

Both women are very young (early 20's) and make some immature and bad decisions due to their circumstances.  In spite of this, I embraced both timelines and the characters, especially Joshua.  

The Frick family and house figure prominently in both storylines - the marvelous art work, sculptures, paintings, lavish furnishings, etc.  This book was extensively researched by the author, as is true with all of her novels.  In her Author's Note, she gives more history and background on the real-life character of Lillian, along with a great bibliography and reading recommendations.  I initially wanted to read this book to find out more about the Frick Collection in New York City.  I visited this museum in May 2025, soon after it reopened after a long renovation from 2021-2025.  

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Book Review: North American Bird Watching for Beginners: Field Notes on 150 Species to Start Your Birding Adventures by Sharon Stiteler

North American Bird Watching for Beginners: Field Notes on 150 Species to Start Your Birding Adventures by Sharon Stiteler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A very well-written and concise overview of 150 common birds.  There are a couple of introductory chapters on Getting to Know our Feathered Friends, and Birding 101.

This is a great book for a bird watching beginner like me.  Each entry gives the color, head, geographical range, general impression, size and shape, plus a paragraph describing where it lives, male and female coloring, and habits.  Highly recommended for the beginner birder!

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Book Review: The Housemaid's Secret by Freida McFadden (The Housemaid #2)

The Housemaid's Secret by Freida McFadden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Millie, the housemaid, is back and working for a very wealthy family in an upper west side penthouse. She was hired by the husband and has never seen the wife, who is sick and spends her time in the guest bedroom. As you can imagine, Millie needs to find out more about this wife.

This is an incredibly fast-paced, page-turning thriller which I finished in two days. It has all the hallmarks of the first book in the series -- a rich employer, questionable situations, strange conversations, many bad decisions on Millie's part, plot surprises, and the story being told from two points of view. I think the first in the series - The Housemaid - was better but I thoroughly enjoyed the romp through Millie's life again with this book.

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Book Review: We Solve Murders by Richard Osman (We Solve Murders #1)

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

(4 1/2 stars)  Steve Wheeler is a retired police detective living in England and keeping busy with his private investigation company, Steve Investigates.  His daughter-in-law Amy works as a bodyguard for a private high-level security company, currently on a South Carolina private island guarding Rosie D'Antonio, a world famous author.  Amy enlists Steve's assistance in protecting Rosie, and murder attempts, jet setting, red herrings, false accusations, and hilarity ensue.

Reader, be aware - The plot is very complex and involves many sub-plots and characters.  There are a lot of moving parts to keep track of - characters, locations, motivations, and alliances.  However, it's all worth it and I literally raced through this fast-paced novel.  In particular I loved the very special relationship that Steve and Amy have, bonding over their very frequent phone calls.  And Rosie is just a laugh-out-loud fun person to have along during any caper.  

This is the beginning of a new series by Richard Osman, very well known for his Thursday  Murder Club series which I'm thoroughly enjoying.  And I'm definitely looking forward to the second book in this series.  The author has such a skill of adding so much humanity and feeling to his main characters.

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Book Review: Dick Francis's Refusal by Felix Francis (Sid Hally #5)

Dick Francis's Refusal by Felix Francis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sid Halley was initially a jockey, turned investigator after his retirement.  However, that career proved to be much more dangerous and risky than he wanted, especially considering his wife and young daughter.  However, he got pulled back in to investigate quite a few unusual circumstances in recent races, indicating that the races results were being fixed.  And once again Sid investigates, asks questions to the wrong people, and as a result is repeated beaten and warned off.

This a fast-paced novel focusing on race fixing by jockeys, and the reader is immersed in the world of steeple chase races.  Pay attention because there are quite a few characters to keep track of, but it's definitely worth the ride!  Watching the recent Kentucky Derby reminded me of my fondness for Dick Francis's books about horse racing.  I was delighted to find out that his son, Felix Francis, has written more in the Sid Halley series.  This is number five in the series, with two more after this -- Hands Down and Dark Horse.  

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Book Review: No Good Deeds by Laura Lippman (Tess Monaghan #9)

No Good Deeds by Laura Lippman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lloyd Jupiter is a 16-year-old con man (boy??) who surreptitiously slashes Crow's tire during a late March snowstorm, and then offers to fix it for him.  Feeling sorry for him, Crow brings him home, feeds him and offers him a bed for the night.  Things get really complicated when he unwittingly has information about a federal prosecutor who was murdered months before.  Both Tess and Crow are involved with this case - deep!  It's a wild, fast-paced ride until the conclusion.

It's been a couple of years since I read the last Tess Monaghan book (#8 - By a Spider's Thread), and it's nice to get back to a familiar character again.  I enjoyed the fact that a good portion of the book was told from Crow's point of view.  I also appreciate the sense of place with details about Baltimore - the good and the bad.  And Tess's best friend Whitney always provides comic relief.  Looking forward to #10 - Another Thing to Fall.

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Book Review: Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen (Her Royal Spyness #1)

Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie, also known as Georgie, is the cousin of King George V of England and 34th in line for the throne.  Without any marriage prospects after her coming out season, her brother has cut off her allowance.  She moves from Castle Raddoch in Scotland to Raddoch House in London in order to find a job and make some money.  

Georgie is without a maid to assist her with the day-to-day royal activities, but is resourceful and creates a job for herself.  She runs into her best friend from finishing school who helps her out, and meets several young eligible men in the process.  A mystery (and hilarity) ensues when she finds a man dead in her bathtub.  Multiple attempts are made on her life, but being Georgie, she just thinks that she is clumsy.  After several twists and turns, everything turns out fine in the end which is good because there are quite a few more books written in this series!

Georgie and friends are fun characters and bring a lot of humor to this book.  The reader really gets a feel for life in the early 1930s London, as well as what it's like to be a 'royal.'  There's high society, fashion, food, and fun in this quick and enjoyable read.  I will definitely be reading more in this series in the future. 

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