My goal in 2024 is read two to three books per month, however, I’m already averaging a little more than that. The idea is to spend as much time as I can completing my own book – Book Two, as well as time nesting in and getting our “little casita” organized.

I hope you’ll stay tuned as I alternate back and forth between nonfiction, usually memoirs, and fiction, striving for a focus on mysteries this year…..

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January 2024

Inside Out: A Memoir

Demi Moore

My Review: “A memoir that sheds light and inspires….I was always attracted to Demi Moore’s youthfulness, fresh face, and witty characters, not realizing she was only three days younger than me in real life. Watching her grow up from starring in soaps to marrying Bruce Willis made me wonder if being famous made life any easier for her as a person. After reading her memoir, I realized that acting took her away from the life she was stuck in and gave her opportunities she wouldn’t otherwise have had; her acting was part of what she did, like a career, but it wasn’t who she was, just like my job isn’t who I am. By reading her memoir, I was able to get to know her just a little bit. I was especially impressed with and happy how she came out on the other side of her story, learning and embracing who she was and is, as well as uniting with all three of her daughters.”

Book Quote:

“One of our collective fears is being alone. Learning that I’m okay with just me was a great gift I was able to give myself. Spending time on my own may not have been exactly what I wanted, but I was okay. I wasn’t afraid. I didn’t need to rush to fill the space. There was an aspect of that time of isolation that was for my healing – which is how I started experimenting with looking at things in general. What if everything hadn’t happened to me but had happened for me? What I learned is that how we hold our experiences is everything.”

Demi Moore, Inside Out: A Memoir (Page 250)

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Go Ask Fannie

Elisabeth Hyde

My Review: “Four familial perspectives of love, loss, and desired connectivity….Murray anticipates his upcoming weekend with trepidation. His three grown children will be arriving soon, all with their own ideas and agendas of their visit’s purpose. Sure, everyone is expecting the usual bickering. But no one is expecting what events will transpire. Neither are they expecting to find the answers to any of the questions which only their memories have been asking. If you enjoy stories with family dysfunction that find resolve in the end, then you’ll fall in love with this unusual story of love lost, family regrets, and unexpected revelations and healing results.”

Book Quote:

“The call came at 2:58 A.M. Ruth knew the time because she’d turned the illuminated clock on the bedside table to face in her direction so she could get up and do some yoga before Lizzie and George made their morning appearances.

No middle-of-the-night phone call ever brought good news.”

Elisabeth Hyde, Go Ask Fannie (Page 270)

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Crying in H Mart

Michelle Zauner

My Review: “The journey of mother and daughter toward each other….Crying in H Mart was truly engaging and revealing. I appreciated everything about this memoir, from being in H Mart and realizing how much the author now misses her mom to her telling us the story of their journey together – and toward each other. In the end, I could see – through the author’s sharing of parts of her mom’s story – how our own mother-daughter story is shaped by our mother’s experiences. I also appreciated how the author stuck as closely as she could to the main theme of her memoir, that of her relationship with her mother, rather than diverting to another interesting facet of her life.”

Book Quote:

“…but catch me at H Mart when some kid runs up double-fisting plastic sleeves of ppeongrwigi and I’ll just lose it. Those little rice-cake Frisbees were my childhood, a happier time when Mom was there and we’d crunch away on the Styrofoam-like disks after school, splitting them like packing peanuts that dissolved like sugar on our tongues.

I’ll cry when I see a Korean grandmother eating seafood noodles in the food court, discarding shrimp heads and mussel shells onto the lid of her daughter’s tin rice bowl….”

Michelle Zauner, Crying in H Mart (Page 5)

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Oona Out of Order

Margarita Montimore

My Review: “A book that gets you thinking about how your choices affect your future….This novel was a page-turner for me. Not being one for time travel, I was pleased that the author kept the plot flowing and was especially pleased with the one plot twist I didn’t see coming. I truly enjoyed how the author, without asking, gets the reader to question the choices we make and how they affect our lives long into the future. I highly recommend Oona Out of Order to anyone who enjoys fiction, time travel, and a little mystery – all rolled into one.”

Book Quote:

“The blowout with Madeleine and the heart-wrenching evening with Kenzie left Oona depressed, so she kept busy in the following weeks by converting her den into a home theater. She had a giant screen and surround-sound speakers installed, along with two rows of seating, microfiber love seats in the lower tier and reclining leather chairs on the upper. Red velvet drapes on either side of the screen and an antique popcorn machine completed the effect.

Every few days, she called her mother and got her voice mail. She never left a message.”

Margarita Montimore, Oona Out of Order (Page 240)

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February 2024

Finding Me

Viola Davis

My Review: “A story that reminds one of the importance of identity, hope, and listening to and following your inner voice….I found Viola Davis’ story not just inspiring but interesting, full of hope and the desire to do better for herself than where she grew up. Although growing up poor myself, and relating to some of what Viola experienced, what I found truly insightful was when she was told how nice it was that her parents came to her performances and were genuinely happy for her success. It was a turning point in Viola’s perspective of her parents’ life. And, oh, how I love turning points – whether my own or someone else’s. If you enjoy reading memoir, you’ll find Viola’s story of finding herself to be truly empowering.”

Book Quote:

“I wanted my story to be small. I wanted it to shrink like a tumor down to a manageable size.

Drama provided an escape. The emotional release acting allowed gave me great joy. Perfect joy. When I was acting, I felt everything – every last receptor in my body was alive, 100 percent alive, and I was not hiding anything….”

Viola Davis, Finding Me (Page 106)

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ROME: Centuries of Stories of the Eternal City

Stephanie Larkin, Editor

My Review: “A compilation of stories to be read by anyone wanting to visit or in love with Rome….If you are looking to broaden your research on Rome before a future first trip to Rome or to reminisce about your love of Rome, I highly suggest this collection of poems and stories. You will be warmed by each one. I love anthologies and this book was especially enjoyable with its focus of Rome, the eternal city. Also, my good writer friend, C. D’Angelo’s short essay, Rome, was featured, and I couldn’t be happier for her and to read of her Rome adventure on her and her husband’s tenth wedding anniversary. Each story is unique and gives you a warm feeling of each writer’s experience. You’ll be glad to add this remarkably unique story collection to your library of travel books.”

Book Quote:

“The last featured memory for me is how in all of our exploring in Rome we could never find the Piazza Navona. I felt like we were in National Lampoon’s European Vacation circling Big Ben and Parliament….”

C. D’Angelo, Rome, in Centuries of Stories of the Eternal City ROME (Page 8)

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STEVE & ME

Terri Irwin

My Review: “A story that astounds and warms you simultaneously….I remember Steve Irwin in the Crocodile Hunter and always admired his openness and zeal for life, nature, and all animals. It was pure joy to read his wife, Terri’s biography of hers and his life together. I hated for her story-in-print to end, as most of us know what happened and were just shocked by his death, wanting to know more about their life in the great outback. I was especially fascinated from the start at how similar Terri and Steve were in their love for protecting animals and preserving wildlife. Her love for Steve, and their combined strength as lovers of nature, made reading their story so gripping. I particularly found Terri to be a strong and inspiring person and am still inspired by her ability to survive the loss of the love of her life. If you haven’t read Steve & Me yet, you will be amazed at their zest for life and how Terri loved a man who put his life on the line every day to save the animals he loved so much.”

Book Quote:

“Steve took all the knowledge he’d acquired over the years and added his own experience. Nothing seemed to daunt him, from green ants, mozzies, sand flies, and leeches, to constant wet weather. On Cape York, we faced the obvious wildlife hazards, including feral pigs, venomous snakes, and huge crocodiles. I never saw Steve afraid of anything, except the chance of harm coming to someone he loved.”

Terri Irwin, Steve & Me (Page 236)

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THE VISITOR: A Novel

C. D’Angelo

My Review: “A book that makes you appreciate family and one’s heritage more….The Visitor is a wonderful read, filled with family intrigue, female independence and determination, and neighbors who pull together in a united effort to help each other out. The author’s writing style is easy and gripping, asking readers, as she writes, to follow along as she strives to solve a family puzzle which will ultimately save her home and her business. You’ll find the main character’s Italian heritage, love of family, and quirky but amiable neighbors to be a story worth rooting for. Get your copy today and be immersed in the lives of Mary, her neighbors, and an interesting but mystifying visitor. Ms. D’Angelo fills a much-needed niche with her easygoing writing – you’ll absolutely enjoy her story and way of telling it.”

Book Quote:

“This is too much. Everything Patsy tells me seems to be transported through a narrow tube so it can seep into my brain, bit by bit. If I allow more to come all at once, it’ll splatter against the inside of my skull and would be way too overwhelming. What are the odds that my grandmother lived in the same home as I do all these years later?….”

C. D’Angelo, The Visitor (Page 190)

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March 2024

INHERITANCE: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love

Dani Shapiro

My Review: “A memoir about discovering who you are and who you are not….I became writer friends with the author on Instagram long before I discovered her memoir, Inheritance. In 2023, and in a plight to increase the number of memoirs to read in the future, I happened upon Dani’s name and tho’t, why not. I had always enjoyed her posts on IG and was not to be disappointed in reading this memoir of hers. In fact, a year later, I have been quite inspired by her dilemma, to – at 54 – discover she was not who she thought she was and yet as minutes and hours and days evolved to realize this is exactly why she felt a disconnect to her family. I found Dani’s effort to make sense of this information fascinating, being that I never felt like she did, knowing exactly who my parents were. I was happy that by the end of her story that she had discovered the why she was different growing up and had made peace with holding and molding two identities into one.”

Book Quote:

“ ‘Do you know the three great spiritual questions?’ [the acupuncturist] asked.

‘Who am I?’ I whispered and paused. I couldn’t remember the other two.

We were silent for a long moment….

Finally, he continued. ‘Why am I here?’

Tears ran down my temples and into my hair.

He paused before offering me the last question.

‘And how shall I live?’ “

Dani Shapiro, Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love (Page 181)

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LOVE, MEG

C. Leigh Purtill

My Review: “A surprisingly cute coming-of-age story about a girl who wasn’t wanted but cannot be resisted….This was a cute story that kept my attention from start to finish; in fact, it’s the first coming of age book I’ve read since I was a teen that I have actually loved from beginning to end. Love Meg kept me hooked on the plot and the characters, first, wondering if Meg was really friends with Jennifer Aniston, and second, how did she fit into her sister’s life and what would eventually happen to her. Sadly, I don’t think this book got the attention it deserved. First titled, Love Meg in 2007, and later named, Jennifer Aniston is My Best Friend, in 2012 in Kindle format. The main character is your typical teen, seeking acceptance and trying to figure out how to exist with a self-absorbed sister. As the plot develops, we learn – as we often do – that everything is not what it seems. Meg learns a hard truth that cannot be ignored and travels to the opposite side of the US to find out more. With the help of her friend, Jennifer Aniston, and new boyfriend, Juny, Meg discovers hard times are everywhere and makes the decision to return “home.” Love Meg is a wonderful depiction of someone who searches for their truth, finds it, and decides not to let it define their future. You will enjoy it’s easy-to-read dialogue, Meg’s family, and her new friends.”

Book Quote:

“If a person was ever in need of a ladies’ room while roaming the Upper East Side of Manhattan, it was Meg’s considered opinion that person should immediately take herself to Bloomingdale’s, where the women’s lounge looked like it was lifted from the queen’s quarters in Buckingham Palace. She was fairly certain that, had Friends actually filmed in the store when Rachel was an employee there, they could have shot entire scenes in the ladies’ room.”

C. Leigh Purtill, Love Meg (Page 125)

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KNOCKOUT: A Memoir

Mia Kang

My Review: “A memoir about learning your why and finding your true balance….Young Mia first seeks to find herself in modeling and all its pitfalls along the way. It isn’t until she takes a break and tries Muay Thai that she finds her true self and what she is made of. Through her courage and perseverance, she rises above the negative influences of a less-than-ideal home life and a modeling career filled with eating disorders and drug abuse to a place of peace and self-confidence. And it is in her newfound energy that Mia models this for young girls just starting out. In choosing to no longer starve herself to fit into the modeling world’s “ideal” size, Mia embraces a bigger dream to help others stand up for themselves. In doing so, Mia breaks out of the old-world beauty mold of becoming rail-thin and instead takes only modeling jobs that accept her as the true beauty she is. If you are struggling to find yourself, this book will help you see that you are not alone. You can find your true self and you can set the bar for what is acceptable and what is not – in your life – just as Mia has done for herself.”

Book Quote:

“…The Mia before Muay Thai might have fit into all the sample sizes, but she was unhealthy, depressed, and riddled with insecurities. It was like seeing two versions of myself; one was shriveled and gray, and the other was colorful and vibrant. And I needed to stand up for the version of me who was strong and powerful. The version who was finally alive, finally happy. I needed to stand up for her not only for me, but all the other women out there, too, because I wish I’d had a woman like me to look up to when I was younger.”

Mia Kang, Knockout (Page 258)

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WINTER GARDEN: A Novel

Kristin Hannah

My Review: “When the past is revealed, two daughters find not only their mother but themselves….I picked up Winter Garden as I had read two other books by Kristin Hannah, Between Sisters and True Colors. I probably wouldn’t have read them except they were chosen for a book club I was in at the time. I enjoyed each one and found Winter Garden just as engrossing. I wasn’t sure, at first, if I’d be as happy with the development, unfolding, and discovery of why there was such a rift between mother and daughters. I was not disappointed. Sometimes, it just takes a while to decipher what and why each person makes their decisions, feels the way they do, and reacts to each other – or to that person’s story. Like in real life, it can take years to find one another amongst all the hurt and pain one might experience. And just like in Winter Garden, sometimes it’s the reading between the lines that gets us to a place of insight, forgiveness, and joy. If you don’t care for family drama, you probably won’t enjoy this book. But if you like understanding why a person does what they do, you might find Winter Garden worth reading. I did.”

Book Quote:

“Meredith nodded. How was it that her whole life could be distilled down to that simple truth? Words mattered. Her life had been defined by things said and unsaid, and now her marriage was being undermined by silence….”

Kristin Hannah, Winter Garden (Page 246)

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April 2024

TRAVOLTA

Dave Thompson

My Review: “A bio that shares much of this talented man yet leaves much of the person out….This biography is worth reading. The author did an outstanding job of research, making it something we can hold in our hands and refer to for parts of John Travolta’s life without having to do all the research ourselves. My favorite parts were where the actor himself is being quoted. I missed seeing more of the essence of the actor as a person – his disappointments, joys, successes, the emotions which would be revealed if the actor had written the book himself or if the author had been able to personally interview him and include more real-time quotes. If you’re looking to read about John Travolta’s acting – his beginnings and middle up through Face/Off and Broken Arrow, this book is a great place to start. However, with Mr. Travolta’s extensive talents including stage-work and singing, as a pilot, as well as his involvement in Scientology and many other organizations such as ecological and drug rehabilitation, you may be inclined to add other books and research to your regimen.”

Book Quote:

“As he grew, John’s life continued to revolve around the twin dreams of flight and the theater….the nuns all but despaired of the boy who could barely do his multiplication tables because his head was already full of numbers – the seating capacity of the DC-6, the number of weeks Gypsy spent on the road. They were exasperated by the boy who could not retain a few lines of scripture but could recite entire movie scripts without fault….”

Dave Thompson, Travolta (Page 12)

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THE SWEENEY SISTERS

Lian Dolan

My Review: “A delightful story of three sisters, who discover they have enough love for one more….This novel touches on when we least expect it – when life is happening and when we are barely handling what we have on our own plate – and how we can add one more thing or, in this case, person to our life. The Sweeney Sisters is filled with love, laughter, and tears. And if you have a sister (I have five), then you will relate to this fun and light-hearted story of how at the reading of their father’s will, they come to learn of one unknown family member. As would be expected, they are all on high alert. But with time and a few family events, they come around to new rhythm of life – together. This story is a feel-good sister story I believe everyone will enjoy.”

Book Quote:

“‘As you know, your father was a man in full. He lived a life that was both rich and often complicated, the result of which could be brilliant writing but difficult personal relationships. As you come to terms with your father‘s death, I must add one more complication. It came to my attention about a month ago that your father had a previously unknown child outside of his marriage to your mother.’ Cap paused to let the last sentence sink in.”

(Cap Richardson) Lian Dolan, The Sweeney Sisters (Page 44)

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ENOUGH ALREADY: Learning to Love the Way I Am Today

Valerie Bertinelli

My Review: “A memoir written with love, food, and the desire to let go of what holds us back….Enough Already is about doing away with the revolving ideas in our mind that keep us from our best self. Valerie Bertinelli is as transparent in her book as she is in her smile and laugh. Many of us watched her grow up on television’s One Day at a Time and were enthralled with her marriage to 80’s music band’s Eddie Van Halen. What we didn’t know at the time, and maybe she didn’t either, is her great love for food and wanting to make others happy with what she made. Through her search for her true self and longing to come to terms with the weight, that elusive ten pounds she (and many of us) was always trying to lose, she found her new passion. And in that, she found herself. If you are looking for a change and help in doing that, this memoir will go a long way to getting you there. What the author touches on in her memoir is what many of us need to know in order to start shedding that extra weight in our own life – whether physical or emotional.”

Book Quote:

“The walk upstairs to the bedroom is the last mile of a daylong hike. As I get into bed, I notice several books about forgiveness in the stack on my nightstand.

How to forgive.

Learning how to forgive.

The blessing of forgiveness.

The lessons in all of them lead to the same place, and I realize that it is surprisingly easy to forgive someone when you love them.” Valerie Bertinelli, Enough Already (Page 26-27)

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May 2024

THE LAST SUPPERS

Diane Mott Davidson

My Review: To be posted soon.

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On January 20, I was already reading my third book of the month and year. This is due in part to several things: choosing some wonderful, amazing stories, fiction and nonfiction, that keep my attention; to a lack of adequate Internet connection after moving into our little casita; a long weekend and freezing weather; and being ill for the first time in years. Sounds ominous, I know, but I’m better now, so that’s good.

It’s the month of May now and, currently, I’m reading my 16th book in 2024. My average was four books per month but, in the month of April, it dipped to three books. I’m hoping to keep this rate up through summer, but we’ll see how it goes. As we all know, life has its way of dictating priorities. But, progress is afoot. Not only have I been reading, I have been working out, emptying the old house while working at 30-34 hours per work, and writing. So, you could say, I’m staying quite busy these days.

My second book is with the last of my editing/reading team. And I’m onto writing more in depth on my third book. So, stay tuned. Smiles.

If you’ve been following along with me, you’ll start seeing more great books to choose from. So, stay tuned and check out the rest of my website’s pages as they get updated and even a facelift.

Please note: For now, I will not be posting my reviews regularly on Amazon, Goodreads, or Barnes & Nobel as I have for the past three years. Perhaps, in the future, I’ll go back to doing so – or by request. But for now, my focus is to get Book Two finished and published. I’m getting there, slowly, but surely.