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Yenya1954

Yenya1954

Joined October 2016

She/her Adventure is as close as your next book
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The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey
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A Village Murder by Frances Evesham
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Yenya1954
Kill the Messenger | Tami Hoag
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A thriller with lots of action centered around a young man who was a bicycle messenger delivery person in LA. A lowlife attorney is murdered and the delivery guy was probably the last one to see him alive. The police are trying to find the culprit, no luck at first. Lots of dangerous stuff happened and the life of all surrounding folks are effectively disrupted. Is the young man guilty or does this go much deeper? 4/5⭐️

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Yenya1954
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A novel about three generations of women each being about 15 years apart. Mother, daughter and granddaughter. They are trying to figure out their own lives and trying to keep the granddaughter from repeating the pregnancy at 15 cycle. The daughter has suffered from a stroke. Of course there is much drama all the time. Challenges abound, but also you can feel the love. 4/5⭐️

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Yenya1954
Hunting Badger | Tony Hillerman
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I enjoy reading Tony Hillerman‘s novels because I have a deep appreciation for the Indigenous Peoples and their culture. Hunting Badger takes place mostly in the southern canyons of Utah. The robbery of a casino has retired Lieutenant Leaphorn involved with Navajo Police Officer Jim Chee along with the FBI searching for the thieves. The search turns deadly before the manhunt comes to an end. 4/5⭐️

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Yenya1954
Dreamland Burning | Jennifer Latham
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This novel dealt with a hundred year old murder. The genre was YA historical fiction plus some modern day. Set in Tulsa Oklahoma, this novel took the reader back to the race war of 1921. It had visions of live, hatred, compassion and courage. The characters were widespread in their personalities and bravery. Others were vile and extremely unlikable. 4/5⭐️

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Yenya1954
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A cozy murder taking place in Australia. The characters were mostly charming. The Fisher women were adventurous. They certainly had a flair about them. They seem to have talents many don‘t have. Ms Peregrine Fisher is the youngest in the current line. She finds herself entangled in a mystery that needs investigating and solving. If the shared genetic material with her Aunt has anything to do with it, no one should worry. 4/5⭐️

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Yenya1954
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One of the best descriptions of how nature works together in our world today. I listened to the audiobook. The book was so good, I forgot about the crafting project I wanted to complete because I was so invested in listening to the words. If you have a love for nature, this is a must read! 5🌟

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Yenya1954
Knit to Kill | Anne Canadeo
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A cozy mystery taking place in the state of Maine. I liked the scenery and the characters. The coast of Maine always has been a place of great memories. The beaches, taking photographs, the birds, the smells of the salt air. 3.75/5⭐️

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Yenya1954
Sugar Run: A Novel | Mesha Maren
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This slow-paced novel is set mostly in the Ohio Appalachian Mountains. Growing up literally dirt poor and basically abandoned by her parents, Jodi grows up with her grandmother on Bethlehem Mountain. Jodi gets involved with a woman & makes some tragic decisions. Life gives her another chance, but will Jodi fall back into old habits? 4/5⭐️

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Yenya1954
Betty: A novel | Tiffany McDaniel
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A heart-wrenching story of a young girl coming of age. Betty was born in 1954, the 6th of eight children. Her dad was Cherokee and her mom was a poor young woman born in Ohio. The tales of her childhood always remain in her heart and mind. Tears were shed, laughter and smiles were shared. There was deep sorrow as well as pain yet, lots of love. Multiple topics rounded out this novel. Certainly one of the best books I have read this year. 5🌟

Soubhiville Was this one of your state reads? I tried reading another book by this author and didn‘t care for it. 2w
Yenya1954 @Soubhiville Yes, it was Ohio. The story touched on many tough topics but it touched my heart. 2w
2 likes2 comments
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Yenya1954
Purrfect Murder | Nic Saint
Mehso-so

This “cozy” mystery was very light. I found it a so-so book. The plot wasn‘t great and it was quite far-fetched. A 3/5 is generous

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Yenya1954
The Violin Conspiracy | Brendan Slocumb
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This novel about a black musician who loved music more than anything other than his sweet grandmother Nora. As a black boy without any means to buy a good instrument. The story took Ray around the world as he played for audiences. The violin was stolen, then a huge investigation took place. The end was a bit predictable but I enjoyed it. 4.25/5

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Yenya1954
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Wow! This novel was written in a voice that brought me totally into the story. Death is not easy to accept and I believe most people suffer from the ‘what if‘s‘ mindset afterwards. Lexie is facing some difficulties as are the other members of her family. This book is listed as a YA genre, but I admit this 70 year old did really relate to it. It was an easy 4.5/5⭐️

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Yenya1954
Mercy | Michael Palmer, Daniel Palmer
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This was a medium-paced medical thriller taking place in Boston. It had lots of medical terminology used to describe patients and their conditions. There were patient right to die issues. The issues of “for profit” healthcare have frustrated me and while reading this, those feelings were present. 4/5⭐️

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Yenya1954
The First Counsel | Brad Meltzer
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This was my first book by this author. It was a thriller set in Washington DC in the White House and on the grounds. The pace was close to “fast.” The characters had some interesting traits. Of course there was mysterious circumstances and political drama. I will read more works by the author. 4/5

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Yenya1954
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The third in a series featuring Detective Megan Carpenter. It‘s a fairly fast read. The characters have some unusual habits and are a bit quirky. It‘s best to read these novels in order as the characters grow in each one. 3.75/5

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Yenya1954
As Bright as Heaven | Susan Meissner
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This historical novel was a beautiful story of love amid the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic. The characters were all very much alive in my mind. This story will remain in my memories. It was well written and certainly worth the time I spent with it. 4.5/5⭐️

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Yenya1954
If I Stay | Gayle Forman
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This was an emotional story of a music loving family who were involved in a horrific accident. In the literal spur of the moment life changes drastically for Mia. Mia is 17 years old with exciting possibilities for life. Heart wrenching and tragic and still full of love. 4/5⭐️

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Yenya1954
Mistress of Rome | Kate Quinn
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Kate Quinn brings a tale of living in Rome in the first century. The age of gladiators fighting to the death in the arena. This was a time brutal punishment and a very different way of life. There are lots of slavery and mistresses and whores. Lepida Pollia is a terrible and conniving woman with no integrity or morals. This has been my least favorite of Kate Quinn‘s novels. However, I still have it 4/5⭐️

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Yenya1954
Deep South | Nevada Barr
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The newly promoted Anna Pigeon is headed from the high desert to the humid Deep South of Mississippi to be the District Ranger of the Natchez Trace. Soon she discovers the body of a teenage prom queen. The novel is filled with mysteries as the killer is tracked down. Is there anyone who willingly answer questions? I like this series. 4/5⭐️

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Yenya1954
The Girl I Used to Be | April Henry
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Olivia was 3 when her mother was killed. Her dad was missing. She spends time with her grandmother until the grandmother dies in her 50s. Olivia decides to try to discover the facts after hearing that her father‘s jaw bone was found. She goes to the funeral and decides to stay to solve the crimes. Set in Oregon. 4/5⭐️

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Yenya1954
Lone Wolf: A Novel | Jodi Picoult
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This novel is heartbreaking. I liked the characters, even Luke, the father of Edward and Cara. The story is told from each character‘s perspective. The love shared between them is strong. 4.5/5

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Yenya1954
Cape May: A Novel | Chip Cheek
Mehso-so

A novel full of lust, love, infidelity and betrayal. Cape May is a beautiful place with the ocean lapping at the sand. Honeymooners Effie and Henry spend time trying to get to know each other. They meet Clara, Max and Alma. Not the typical romantic honeymoon. 3/5⭐️

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Yenya1954
Close Your Eyes | Teresa Driscoll
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This was an Amazon first reads kindle book. It was a story that kept me guessing what would happen next. The author had me wondering how the characters would be connected. They were unique and very different. It took most of the novel before I realized how the story would end. When I thought I had the ending settled in my mind, I didn‘t. 4/5⭐️

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Yenya1954
The Mountains Wild: A Mystery | Sarah Stewart Taylor
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Over the decades several young women in Ireland go missing. When remains are discovered, and another young woman is kidnapped, it‘s a matter of time until her body is found unless she can be quickly found. NY detective Maggie D‘arcy whose cousin disappeared 23 years ago in Dublin is notified the unique scarf her cousin was wearing is found, she heads to Ireland. The mysterious circumstances span the ocean. How many killers are there? 4.25/5

kspenmoll Great series! 💕 1mo
4 likes1 comment
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Yenya1954
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Lila moves from Iowa to the Ozark town of Henbane to work. The job quickly turns dark. Years later, 16 year old Lucy Dane, Lila‘s daughter goes to work for her Uncle. Lila went missing when Lucy was a baby. A friend of Lucy‘s goes missing. Mystery spring up and some wonder if these missing girls might have something in common. There are lots of layers are tangled together along with lots of memories. 4/5⭐️

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Yenya1954
Vinegar Girl | Anne Tyler
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A funny retelling of Shakespeare‘s Taming of the Shrew. Anne Tyler sets this novel in Maryland. Kate Battista feels stuck in life. She‘s been caring for her scientist father and younger sister, seemingly forever. Her father is researching autoimmune diseases and his brilliant assistant is about to be deported. Pytor must either reapply for a visa or marry to be eligible for a green card. Unusual characters and circumstances abound. 3.5/5⭐️

3 likes1 stack add
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Yenya1954
Midnight Come Again | Dana Stabenow
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Kate Shugak has disappeared from her home. Her family and friends are very concerned as this is not something Kate would do. Alaska State Trooper Jim Chopin is a friend and he is searching for her when he is sent to Bering to work undercover. He unexpectedly finds Kate there. There is Jim‘s undercover job and a huge mystery to solve. This is book ten in the series and a less emotional than number nine. A good story. 4/5⭐️

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Yenya1954
Dolores Claiborne | Stephen King
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This novel is set in Maine. I listened to the audiobook. Having grown up in NH, I liked the narrator as she sounded like “home” to me. Dolores Claiborne was quite the character. I found her to be a strong woman and mother of three. Dolores was the housekeeper for Vera Donovan who was very wealthy. Death happens and sometimes there are suspicions concerning them. This story is no exception. 4.5/5⭐️

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Yenya1954
Calico Joe: A Novel | John Grisham
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If you are a baseball fan, you are going to like this novel. Joe Castle was hit in the head with a baseball. Life changes for both the Warren Tracey and Joe Castle after that incident. I liked Warren‘s son Paul and the story behind the life of the two men. 4/5 ⭐️

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Yenya1954
The Women: A Novel | Kristin Hannah
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This novel is full of heartbreaking historical fiction based on the experiences of a young nurse and her peers during the Vietnam War. The characters all had battles they faced while serving in country and more when they returned. The unpopular war was difficult for all the soldiers and those back at home. Returning to the US was difficult. PTSD was a huge part of daily life for many. This book touched me in all ways. 4.75/5

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Yenya1954
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A complex novel with some strange characters. It was filled with twists and turns I didn‘t expect. It started out a bit slow but the story became more interesting and more in depth as it continued. I listened to the audio version with different narrators, made the characters come to life. Dysfunction family at its top level. 4.25/5⭐️

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Yenya1954
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A novel taking place in Georgia with some interesting characters. I enjoyed meeting most of them. Deena, a lawyer, decides to returns to her home town after the death of her beloved mother and her own divorce. Deena has moved back into the home she grew up in with her father and her stepmother, is sleeping her girlhood bedroom. Mysteries surrounding the homes being swallowed by a large cooperation and property maybe stolen. 4/5⭐️

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Yenya1954
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This has to be one of the best historical fiction I‘ve ever read. My heart is so broken for all of the people who didn‘t survive the horrific tragedy of the Hitler and the Nazis occupied Germany. I have so much respect for those who found trust, life and hope in the darkness of the forest and went on to survive. 5🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

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Yenya1954
Where They Last Saw Her | Marcie R Rendon
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This is the first book I‘ve read of Marcie Rendon. I liked Quill and Crow and most of the others in this novel. The setting is northern MN in deep winter. It‘s freezing cold. The oil pipeline has come to the area and Indigenous women are disappearing. Quill is very independent and wants to find and save those who are missing. As with many Native Tribes, there is a casino on the reservation. This was a quick read. 4.5/5⭐️

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Yenya1954
Dark Places: A Novel | Gillian Flynn
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The novel was dark and somewhat predictable as I got closer to the end, I figured it out. The characters were not particularly lovable. I did like being able to try to figure out what happened. The father‘s name fit him perfectly. 4.5/5⭐️

readingwithbrian Great book! 2mo
6 likes1 comment
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Yenya1954
Idlewild | James Frankie Thomas
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A novel reflecting on teenage years of two adults who grew up in NYC. Sometimes funny and other times sad, the kids while attending a Quaker School are trying to decide who they are sexually. The imagination runs a bit wild. No matter where you identify yourself sexually, or where you grew up, this novel had me recalling my memories during my teenage years. I gave this a solid 4.5/5⭐️

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Yenya1954
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This novel is set in the state of Washington . Ruth Turner tells Detective Megan Carpenter that her sister is missing. The ladies drive out to Snow Creek to check things out. Indeed, Ida Wheaton and her husband are missing. The two teenagers are at home alone. Snow Creek is an area where not many live. Most residents live “off-grid” and prefer no company. Will the mystery of the missing be solved? Full of twists. 4/5⭐️

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Yenya1954
Black Cake | Charmaine Wilkerson
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This novel was well written and the characters were nice (except of a couple) and the story took the readers from the Caribbean to London, then New York and California. Two siblings who were estranged find themselves together trying to work through the death of their mother. Surprised, the lawyer tells them of a half sister they didn‘t know about. Life has dealt each of them a path they didn‘t expect. 4.25/5⭐️

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Yenya1954
Battle Mountain | C.J. Box
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C.J. Box has delivered another great novel featuring some of my favorite characters. Joe Pickett, Wyoming Game Warden, Nate Romanowski, Geronimo both master Falconers and the evil villain Axel Soledad are prominent in this book. Box always describes the landscape around in the area. If you close your eyes you can visualize the scene. Will they find for Soledad find him before more people die? Action filled 4.5/5🌟

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Yenya1954
This post contains spoilers
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The true crime on the reservation in North Dakota. K.C. Kristopher Clarke is working on an oil field. This is the story of a journalist and her search to find out what happened. This was a slow read with lots of meandering during the search. Life on the reservation is very difficult and the indigenous people are poor. When people go missing there is rarely an adequate search. No one can find KC or his remains. Very sad. 3.75/5⭐️

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Yenya1954
Hell Bent | Leigh Bardugo
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Wealth. Power. Magic. Murder. All these and more are found in this novel. Alex Stern takes the reader on an Ivy League journey to try to rescue Darlington from the grips of purgatory. She has been forbidden from this endeavor but that won‘t stop her. New Haven will never be the same after the “team” of dubious allies discover a way to right this wrong by entering hell. They will be successful or die trying. Which will it be? 4⭐️

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Yenya1954
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A novel filled with lots of different elements. We meet Frankie as she‘s called in the visit with a death row inmate. Frankie wanders around finding missing persons. This time she looking for the missing/kidnapped younger sister of the inmate. Frankie goes to Hawaii and then onto an atoll where the sister is going to be. The death row sister escapes from prison and comes to the atoll. People are being murdered. What happens next? 4/5 🌟

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Yenya1954
The Huntress | Kate Quinn
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A teenaged girl with a dysfunctional family decides to become a pilot in Russia. She is turned down repeatedly because of her gender. Eventually she becomes one of the best pilots, going on over 600 missions. She is awarded the top medal from Stalin. Very well written this historical fiction novel which held my interest from the beginnings in Russia all the way to Boston MA. I highly recommend reading. 5🌟

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Yenya1954
Broken Bayou | Jennifer Moorhead
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Twists and unexpected turns in this thriller novel had me guessing right up to the very end. There were some interesting characters as well as some who were concerning from the time they were introduced in the chapters. The descriptive phrases made me feel as if I was right near the bayou. I felt the humidity as well. Multiple murders kept me reading when I should have been sleeping. 4.25🌟

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Yenya1954
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Dana Stabenow has written another mystery set in the Park in Alaska. PI Kate Shugak is on the job this time trying to assist State Trooper “Chopper Jim” solve a murder. The regular characters are nice people. Mutt the half wolf dog plays an important part in entire series. Winter is cold in Alaska, bringing the residents closer. How many will die before the killer is captured? 4⭐️

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Yenya1954
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A double love story in two different generations. World War II with two people very much in love. A baby boy born of the love of his parents. Born in England and then headed to Colorado. The granddaughter trying to sort through all the paperwork of her grandmother after passed away. A modern love story with the granddaughter and the author who had been hired to complete the grandmother hadn‘t finished. 4.25🌟

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Yenya1954
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The intriguing story of black women who were hired to work in the 1940s in order to help the country win the space race. The was lots of discrimination during the early years. The women were referred to as “computers,” working the mathematical computations before computers (in today‘s sense.) Some were school teachers. The women were kept in lower level jobs because people didn‘t believe they could do better than men. Interesting book. 4🌟

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Yenya1954
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This novel is a love story on many levels. There‘s the love of parents, love of friends, love of spouses. There are tragic moments when a man is convicted of a crime he didn‘t commit and is sentenced to prison. The novel is mostly filled with letters written while the man is in prison. There is lots of passion and pain. When the attorney finally is able to get the man‘s conviction overturned, he heads home and everything has changed. 3.75⭐️

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Yenya1954
The Same Bright Stars | Ethan Joella
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Jack Schmidts is the owner of a seaside restaurant which has been in his family since his grandmother opened it. Jack doesn‘t have any living family and he spends most of his time at the restaurant. A large corporation wants to buy his successful restaurant. Jack thinks it might be time. His employees love him & he feels they‘re almost family. This novels well written and the author pulls you in and allows you to be part of the story. 4.5⭐️

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Yenya1954
Exposure | Ramona Emerson
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This is a dark novel with lots of gory details. A Navajo forensic photographer finds herself wrapped up with the ghosts of those she has taken pictures of. They weigh heavily on her shoulders. She‘s also drawn in a serial killer‘s lair. These ghosts also fill Rita Todacheene‘s head. The serial killer has formed his own dangerous religion. Rita and her colleagues try to catch him before he kills again. Will they save his next victim? 4⭐️