5 Stars • Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol follows the cunning Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov as he travels through Russia, buying "dead souls"—serfs who are deceased but still listed in government records. His scheme aims to use these souls as collateral for a loan, exposing the corruption and moral decay of Russian society through his interactions with various landowners. Each character represents a satirical critique of societal flaws.

5 Stars • "The Importance of Being Earnest" by Oscar Wilde is a comedic play that satirizes the Victorian era's societal norms and values, particularly focusing on marriage, identity, and the notion of "Bunburying," a term Wilde coined to describe the act of creating an alter ego to escape social obligations.

Read in October 2024...
19 Books
Two 5-Star reads this month:
• Murder Road
• The Lightning Bottles

#Goodreads #Bookstagram #OUABC #Litsy #Libby #Everand #Audible #Kindle

2.5 Stars • Pell is an engineer and excavator, dedicated to uncovering and restoring the intriguing relics of the Ancients on the arid planet Tampere. Her mission is to aid her village's survival and decode the mysteries of the past. Heartwood and Moses are custodians of a daunting tower located near Emgarden village, which houses remnants of sophisticated machinery unfamiliar to Pell.

3 Stars • "Lights on the Sea" by Miquel Reina follows Mary Rose and Harold Grapes, an elderly couple forced to leave their cliffside home due to its instability. A storm causes their house to float away, leading them on a literal and metaphorical journey across the sea. This fantastical event becomes a backdrop for their emotional healing from the loss of their son.

3 Stars • The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden is a psychological thriller about Sydney Shaw, who begins dating Tom, seemingly the perfect man. The story unfolds in dual timelines: one where Sydney and Tom's relationship develops, and another revealing Tom's obsessive past with a girl named Daisy, linked to a murder. This book deals with themes of obsession, hidden truths, and the darker aspects of human relationships.

3 Stars • We'll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida, translated by E. Madison Shimoda, centers on the Kokoro Clinic for the Soul in Kyoto, which uniquely uses cats for healing. This book blends magical realism with themes of companionship, showcasing how cats can profoundly affect human lives. ⬇️

3.5 Stars • Second book in the Cameron Winter series • Cameron Winter, an ex-spy turned English professor, investigates the suspicious suicide of his former student, Kemp, which leads him to Gerald Byrne, a Big Tech billionaire with a mysterious personal life and control over a vast social media empire named Byrner. This novel explores power and manipulation through technology, personal demons, and the fine line between genius and malevolence.

#OUABC Once Upon a Book Club September 2024 Monthly Box (They Were the Music)

5 Stars • The Lightning Bottles by Marissa Stapley follows the story of Jane Pyre, a musician from the grunge era, as she embarks on a journey across continents to uncover the truth about her partner in music and love, Elijah Hart, who mysteriously disappeared. ⬇️

3 Stars • First book in the Cameron Winter series • After a confession of murder, a sleuthing English teacher will need a Christmas miracle to prove a condemned man innocent. Colorful Christmas lights dapple the family homes in the idyllic lakeside town of Sweet Haven when Jennifer Dean, a young librarian at the local elementary school, is brutally murdered. ⬇️

4.5 Stars • Violet Sorrengail, a young woman with a non-combat background, is forced into the deadly Basgiath War College, where cadets train to become dragon riders. Despite her unsuitability for warfare, Violet possesses a rare ability to hear dragon thoughts, which could either be her salvation or her downfall. The story follows her brutal first year at the academy, where she must survive harsh training and navigate complex relationships.

4 Stars • Avery Grambs, a high school senior, inherits a billionaire's fortune from Tobias Hawthorne, a man she never met. She must live in his mansion with his four grandsons—Nash, Grayson, Jasper, and Xander—while solving puzzles to uncover why she was chosen. The book explores family secrets, rivalry, and Avery's journey to understand her unexpected legacy, leaving many mysteries for subsequent books in the series.

3 Stars • The last book in the Aunties trilogy. • The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto focuses on family, cultural identity, and humor, set against the backdrop of Chinese-Indonesian traditions. During Chinese New Year in Jakarta, Meddy and her family face chaos when an ex of Second Aunt tries to win her back, leading to a dangerous gift mix-up. The family must navigate comedic and risky situations to retrieve the gift.

5 Stars • Murder Road by Simone St. James involves a newlywed couple, April and Eddie, who encounter supernatural horror on Atticus Line, a haunted road in Michigan. After helping a mysteriously bloodied woman, they're drawn into local legends about the "Lost Girl," a ghost believed to possess people to kill. ⬇️

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

4.5 Stars • In "What Have You Done?", Beth Aldridge discovers a letter suggesting her husband Noah had an affair and a secret child. As Beth investigates, she uncovers Noah's hidden past, leading to distrust and paranoia. Their teenage son Sebastian adds complexity with his own issues. The story climaxes with revelations of Noah's double life, resulting in dramatic confrontations and decisions.

4 Stars • Lost Gods by Brom follows Chet Moran, who after a tragic attack, finds himself in Purgatory. Here, he must navigate a world of forgotten gods, demons, and souls to find a key that might save his wife and unborn child, as well as redeem his own soul. The story blends themes of redemption, love, and survival in a dark fantasy setting, where Chet's journey through this afterlife tests his character amidst a backdrop of mythological turmoil.

SciFi • 1972 • 4 Stars

Roadside Picnic is set on Earth after alien "Visitations" leave mysterious Zones with bizarre artifacts. People called Stalkers, like Redrick Schuhart, illegally enter Zones to collect these artifacts, which have extraordinary and often hazardous properties. The narrative focuses on Redrick's life, from financial gain to personal loss and existential questioning, as he deals with the Zone's effects on society and himself.

3 Stars • "Awopbopaloobop Alopbamboom: The Golden Age of Rock" by Nik Cohn is a pioneering book on rock 'n' roll, tracing its evolution from the 1950s to the early 1970s. Cohn highlights key artists like Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and Jimi Hendrix, detailing how their music and personas shaped not just musical trends but also youth culture and societal norms. ⬇️

4 Stars • The Castle of Crossed Destinies by Italo Calvino (published in Italian in 1973) where characters, unable to speak, use tarot cards to tell their stories. The novel explores themes of fate, chance, and storytelling through the symbolism of tarot, challenging traditional narrative structures by suggesting stories are like cards, reshuffled and reinterpreted endlessly. ⬇️

Thank you #StMartinsPress and #NetGalley for providing this #ARC Advance Reading Copy. The expected publication date is February 11, 2025 • 4 Stars

“The Queens of Crime” by Marie Benedict is a historical fiction set in 1930s London, where five renowned women mystery writers secretly form the Queens of Crime to solve an actual murder mystery, inspired by real events. ⬇️

Read in September 2024...
16 Books
Five 5-Star reads this month:
• The Last Russian Doll
• The Museum of Failures
• This Is Why We Lied (Will Trent 12)
• Water by John Boyne
• The All of It by Jeannette Haien

#Goodreads #Bookstagram #OUABC #Litsy #Libby #Everand #Audible #Kindle

3.5 Stars • Blind Spots highlights:
• Medical Misconceptions: Challenges long-held medical beliefs like the safety of opioids.
• Groupthink in Medicine: Criticizes the medical community's reluctance to question established norms.
• Missteps in Public Health: Analyzes significant errors in health advice and policy.
• Questioning the Status Quo: Advocates for a more scientifically rigorous and open-minded approach in healthcare.

Not many people can tell a tale like the Irish ☘️ 5 Stars

The All of It by Jeannette Haien revolves around Father Declan, an Irish priest, who learns a disturbing secret about two of his parishioners, Kevin and Enda, who were siblings living as husband and wife. The story unfolds through Enda's confessions, exploring themes of sin, love, and morality. ⬇️

3 Stars • "The Retreat" by Mark Edwards is a psychological thriller (with a hint of the supernatural) centered around Julia, who, after losing her family in a tragic accident, converts her home into a writers' retreat in hopes of making ends meet. The story spirals into mystery when one of the retreat's guests, a horror novelist named Lucas, becomes intrigued by the local lore and the history of Julia's house, particularly ⬇️

5 Stars • "Water" by John Boyne follows Vanessa Carvin, who renames herself Willow Hale, as she escapes to an Irish island to flee her past. Her husband, Brendan, was imprisoned for child abuse, and she seeks solitude to escape public judgment and confront her own complicity. The novel explores themes of identity, isolation, and redemption through Willow's interactions with islanders and her internal struggles. ⬇️

3.5 Stars • The idea behind the book was much better than the book itself.

By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult is a novel that explores themes of identity, authorship, and the historical silencing of women's voices through the lens of two female playwrights:

Emilia Bassano: A historical figure from Elizabethan England, who, in the novel, is portrayed as the true author behind some of Shakespeare's plays. ⬇️

1915: Tessa Fairchild boards the Lusitania and meets Julian Ashford, an intelligence officer. Amidst espionage, they fall in love. The ship sinks, and a legendary necklace, the Heart of the Sea, disappears.

1938: Sarah Blake, working for Robert Langford, whose mother survived the Lusitania, uncovers family secrets and the necklace's mystery through letters from an anonymous survivor. ⬇️

Trust Exercise by Susan Choi is a novel split into three parts:

• Part 1 follows two high school drama students, Sarah and David, under the tutelage of their manipulative drama teacher, Mr. Kingsley, who uses intense trust exercises to blur reality and performance.
• Part 2 reveals that Sarah and David are characters in a novel written by one of the students, shifting the narrative to explore the nature of fiction, memory, and authorship. ⬇️

5 Starts • Will Trent and Sara Linton are on their honeymoon at McAlpine Lodge when a storm isolates them, turning their vacation into a murder investigation. After Mercy McAlpine, the lodge manager, is murdered, everyone present becomes a suspect. Will and Sara uncover a web of lies and secrets among the guests and staff. The investigation reveals deep-seated issues within the McAlpine family.

3.5 Stars • "The Professor" by Charlotte Brontë follows William Crimsworth, a young English teacher in Belgium. After a falling out with his wealthy brother, William seeks independence. He starts teaching at a boys' school and becomes romantically involved with Frances Evans Henri, a teacher at a nearby girls' school. Initially, he is misled by the school's headmistress, ⬇️

5 Stars • Thrity Umriger is probably my favorite contemporary female author. Her books never disappoint.

"The Museum of Failures" by Thrity Umrigar follows Remy Wadia, an Indian-American who returns to Mumbai to adopt a baby, only to confront unresolved issues with his estranged mother, Shirin. Through family secrets and personal revelations, ⬇️

4 Stars • "A Midsummer's Equation" by Keigo Higashino, the third book in the Detective Galileo series, revolves around physicist Manabu Yukawa, known as "Detective Galileo," who assists in solving a complex murder case. The story begins with the discovery of a body in a locked room, with the only apparent suspect having a solid alibi. ⬇️

2.5 Stars • Didn‘t quite hit the mark for me.

"The Lost Manuscript" by Cathy Bonidan follows Anne-Lise Briard who finds an intriguing manuscript and decides to return it, leading her on a journey through various lives it has touched. The story unfolds through letters, revealing the manuscript's mysterious completion by a second author and its profound impact on everyone involved, showcasing the power of literature to connect and transform lives.

4.5 Stars • There is so much valuable information presented in this book that I need to read it again (and yet again) just to help it all sink in. Brilliantly presented.

"Speechless" by Michael Knowles argues that political correctness is a form of censorship that controls thought, undermining free speech and traditional values. ⬇️

Love this

5 Stars • "The Last Russian Doll" by Kristen Loesch follows three generations of Russian women:
• Tonya lives through the 1917 Russian Revolution, falling in love with a Bolshevik, Valentin, amidst political chaos and later Stalin's purges.
• Rosie (Raisa), in the 1990s, returns to Russia to unravel her family's secrets, particularly her mother Katya's mysterious past. ⬇️

4.0 Stars • "Bad News: How Woke Media Is Undermining Democracy" by Batya Ungar-Sargon argues that the transformation of journalism from a blue-collar profession to an elite, highly educated field has shifted media focus from class issues to identity politics, particularly race. ⬇️

3.5 Stars • The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the earliest great works of literature, originating from ancient Mesopotamia, likely around the 18th century BCE. Gilgamesh, the king of Uruk, is initially tyrannical until the gods create Enkidu to challenge him. They become friends and embark on adventures, including defeating Humbaba and the Bull of Heaven. ⬇️

Read in August 2024...
19 BOOKS

Six 5-Star reads this month:
• The House Of Special Purpose
• The Waste Land
• Paradise
• Daughters of Olympus
• The True Story of Hansel and Gretel
• What Is a Woman?

#Goodreads #Bookstagram #OUABC #Litsy
#Libby #Everand #Audible #Kindle

3 Stars • "In Another Light" by A.J. Banner follows Phoebe Glassman, a mortuary cosmetologist still mourning her husband's death. The arrival of a corpse resembling her sets off a chain of events, uncovering dark secrets about her past and her late husband. The novel blends themes of grief, identity, and psychological suspense, leading Phoebe on a journey of self-discovery and truth amidst a backdrop of deception.

4.5 Stars • In the Lonely Hours by Shannon Morgan is a modern gothic tale set on a remote island in northwest Scotland, where Edwina Nunn (Edie) and her teenage daughter Neve unexpectedly inherit Maundrell Castle. The castle, steeped in history and haunted by ghosts, becomes the backdrop for unraveling family secrets and curses, particularly surrounding the Maundrell Red, a lost priceless diamond. ⬇️

4.5 Stars • 3rd in the series • Perveen Mistry, a pioneering female lawyer in 1920s Bombay, investigates the will of the wealthy Solicitor family patriarch. Uncovering potential forgery and family secrets, she navigates cultural and legal challenges to resolve the inheritance dispute, all while facing personal and professional obstacles in a society dominated by British rule and traditional norms.

What Is a Woman?
Walsh concludes that the reluctance to define "woman" biologically or concretely serves to undermine traditional definitions, which he and his supporters argue are rooted in biological reality. The documentary has sparked significant discussion on gender, identity, and the nature of truth in contemporary society.

Watched this Daily Wire* documentary and absolutely had to purchase the book and audio. • 5-Stars

4 Stars • Richard Abernethie dies, and his family gathers for the funeral. His sister Cora, known for her eccentricities, remarks that "someone must have helped him on with it," suggesting murder. Initially dismissed as a nonsensical comment, it later becomes the crux of the mystery. Cora herself is found murdered shortly after, making her comment seem prophetic. ⬇️

5 Stars • I have to say that this is probably one of the most terrifying stories I‘ve read about the horrors of WWII. It was absolutely brutal in parts and I had to put the book down for a few minutes just to gather my emotions. A must read if you have the stomach for it. ⬇️

Expected publication date is October 15, 2024.

3.5 Stars • In a future where climate change has drastically altered the world, siblings Maren and Kushim embark on a journey to find their missing parents. Their mother, Lilah, has been kidnapped by Cyrus, a wool magnate with an obsession for ancient texts. The story explores survival, family bonds, and the impact of humanity's past on its future.

5 Stars • Daughters of Olympus reimagines ancient Greek mythology of Demeter and Persephone, diving into the tumultuous relationship between a goddess of harvest and her daughter, who becomes the queen of the underworld.

• Demeter: The goddess of agriculture, whose love for her daughter Persephone is both profound and possessive. When Persephone is taken by Hades, Demeter‘s grief causes the world to wither, leading to the creation of seasons. ⬇️