Book Report
Below are the books I've read in the past three months.
A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham
The summer that Chloe Davis was 12 years old, six girls went missing in her small town. By the end of the summer, her father had confessed to the crimes, earning him a life sentence in prison. Twenty years later, Chloe is a psychologist and young girls again start to disappear. Is she paranoid or does Chloe see parallels in the disappearances? JJJ
American Daughters by Piper Hugely
A story of the friendship between Portia Washington, daughter of Book T. Washington and Alice Roosevelt, daughter of President Teddy Roosevelt.This was our February book club selection. Everybody else in book club seemed to enjoy the book more than I did. It was well written, but I just couldn't find a character that I liked or disliked enough to grab my interest. JJJ
The Ankle Snatcher by Grady Hendrix - Marcus grew up believing his father killed his mother—then blamed it on the boogeyman under the bed.* Always leave the lights on, his father warned, or the boogeyman will get you. And don't let your leg hang off the bed or he'll grab you and pull you under there with him. Marcus still heeds the superstition, especially when he invites his new girlfriend over. Is Marcus haunted by a creature or has he just inherited his father’s murderous delusions? JJ
Unspeakable Things by Jess Lourey
Cassie McDowell’s life on a farm in 1980s Minnesota seems perfectly wholesome. Yes, there are her parents’ strange parties and their parade of deviant guests, but she’s grown accustomed to them.But when local boys begin to go missing, then return violent and withdrawn, rumors begin to fly and Cassie's life becomes not so wholesome anymore.
Black Widow by Ryan Green
A true-crime account of the Giggling Granny, Nannie Doss. Over a period of two and a half decades, before she was finally caught, Nannie murdered 11 members of her family, including two of her children, a grandson, and four of her husbands. These were not crimes of passion. They were simply people who got in the way of Nannie's life as she wanted to live it. JJJ
The Radley by Matt Haig
Matt is one of my favorite authors. I had read all of his fiction with the exception of this book, which I have avoided reading for years. Why? It's about vampires, and I don't like vampires. I love ghost stories, murder mysteries, haunted house tales, and all kinds of thrillers and scary stories, but there's just something about vampires that puts me off. Well I finally decided to grit my teeth and read it. I can report that like all of Matt's stories, this one is well written and intriguing. The story draws you in and won't let go. So if you have nothing against vampires, especially if you're a Matt Haig fan, you'll probably love this book. As for me, I hope he doesn't write any more books about those irritating blood suckers. I give this book four happy faces because it's Matt Haig's excellent writing. JJJJ
The Sleep Experiment by Jeremy Bates
In 1954, at the height of the Cold War, the Soviet military promised four political prisoners their freedo if they could endure an experiment designed to keep them awake for fourteen days using a powerful stimulant gas. None survived. In 2018, Dr. Roy Wallis, a renowned psychology professor at UC Berkeley, is determined to recreate the experiment. With two student assistants, he monitors a group of young Australian test subjects as he keeps then awake day after day with the same gas the Russians used in 1954. But what starts as an academic study quickly spirals into a waking nightmare. JJJJ
The Crash by Freida McFadden
Tegan is eight months pregnant, alone, and desperately wants to put her crumbling life in order. So she hits the road, planning to stay with her brother until she can figure out her next move. But she doesn’t realize she’s heading straight into a blizzard. She never arrives at her brother's house. Stranded in rural Maine with a wrecked car and broken ankle, what Tegan goes through for the next few days might put you in mind of Stephen King's novel Misery. JJJJ
I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
After having watched the movie on Amazon Prime starring Will Smith, I decided to read the book on which the movie is loosely based. In this post-apocolyptic story, the population of the entire world has been obliterated by a pandemic of vampire bacteria. Yet somehow, Robert Neville survived. He must now struggle to make sense of what happened and learn to protect himself against the vampires who hunt him nightly. Vampires, yeah. So you know how this book set with me. But Matheson's story telling is excellent. Just three smiley faces because of the vampires. JJJ
Baby Catcher by Peggy Vincent
In 1980, after fifteen years as a delivery room nurse, ten years as a childbirth educator, and three years as the director of the first alternative birth center in Berkeley, CA, Peggy Vincent became a Certified Nurse Midwife. For the next 40 years, she delivered some 2000 babies for women who wanted to be in charge of their childbirth experiences in hospitals or in their own homes, without drugs and without being strapped to a table. Peggy tells some of their stories with love, compassion, and humor--but she doesn't leave out the pain. And excellent book. JJJJ
A Very Bad Thing by J.T. Ellison
With a number of hit titles and a highly anticipated movie tie-in, celebrated novelist Columbia Jones is at the top of her game. Fans around the world adore her. But on the final night of her latest book tour, she is murdered. Turns out many people had motive to kill Columbia. And with a hungry reporter and frustrated cop on the trail, the secrets of Columbia's past life won’t stay buried long. JJJJ
*Note: When I was a child, I would never let my arm or leg hang off the bed after I went to bed. I was sure there was a wolf under my bed and and he would grab my leg or arm. I don't have any idea where I got this superstition, but I'm pretty sure I didn't get it from my daddy, as Marcus did.
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On 04/27/2025, Barbara Anne said ...
Oh, I didn't let any part of me hang over the edge of the bed either. I didn't think there was a wolf under the bed, but there was no use taking chances!
Thanks for the book reviews and will be looking for a few at the library. No thrillers for me.
There is a delightful woman who has some wonderful cooking videos on YouTube based on her family's 4 Memphis restaurants: "Southern Hands". Yum!
Hugs!
On 05/02/2025, Barbara Groeschell said ...
I always look forward to your book reviews. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and recommendations.
On 05/15/2025, Barbara Anne said ...
Back to say I read "A Baby Catcher" by Peggy Vincent and LOVED it, perhaps because I'm a retired nurse or whatever, but I was sorry to have finished it. Our library doesn't have her other books.
Hugs!
On 06/03/2025, Barbara Anne said ...
Hope all is well there and that you're busy sewing cats in stars.
Long time, no post from you.
Hugs, my friend!
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