Review 144: The Lions of Fifth Avenue

The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is told between two alternating time lines, around 1913 and 1993, and both take place around the New York Public Library. The early time line is when the library first opens, with Jack and Laura Lyons with their two children live in an apartment inside the library. Jack’s job is superintendent of the library and one of the perks is the apartment. Jack also is writing a novel, and Laura also has ambitions and joins the Columbia University School of Journalism.

In the more modern time we have Sadie Donovan who happens to be Jack and Laura’s granddaughter, and she works with the Berg Collection at the New York Public Library. Sadie is divorced and her relationships with men take up some part of her story, along with her family, an older brother, his wife and their kid.

There are many similarities between the two time periods, one of which is rare books are going missing from the library and no one can figure out how. Once Sadie learns the same happened during her grandparents time at the library, she wonders if they two are connected, and she becomes wrapped up in solving this mystery.

The frame of the book with the alternating time lines is the style of the author. It works well, and in this book the pacing is well done. Each time line leaves at a moment when you really want to know what happens next. There are some unexpected moments and of course some coincidences. I enjoyed this book and found it a good diversion, with a wonderful backdrop of a story.

Really enjoyed this book.

Thanks to Dutton Books/Penguin Group and NetGalley for an uncorrected electronic advance review copy of this book.

Review 143: The Turner House

The Turner House by Angela Flournoy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The book is about the larger Turner family, Francis and Viola had 13 children, who grew up in Detroit. Through the decades they saw the decline of manufacturing, white flight, drugs, gangs, and the overall decay of their city. Now the family home is falling apart and the house is worth ten percent of the mortgage value.

The book alternates viewpoints with the most time spent on the oldest child, Cha Cha and the youngest Lelah. The oldest is going through what would be a mid-life crisis, except he is older, nearing retirement. The youngest still hasn’t figured out how to take care of herself and is tired of relying on others, her siblings, or even her adult daughter to bail her out. The main plot of the book is the family conversation of what to do with the family home, and their mother is slowly dying.

While the book held together with all these characters, we don’t get a conclusion on much except a glimpse at how the family got started. There’s also the ghost or haint that is bothering Cha Cha, and that has a little resolution. As one may expect with so many people, you don’t get a clear understanding of each Turner, only a few are fully portrayed and others are character stand-ins. The book has a family tree in the front pages, yet many of the people listed there aren’t even mentioned in the book.

Some parts of this book I was interested in -- Lelah, her story kept me going to read to the end, but there was more there that could have been fleshed out. If the book did well it may be something where each of the thirteen could have their own book written about them. Doubtful that will be undertaken by the author, but her world created was believable for the most part.


I received a free copy of this book at a library conference. I was not required to write a review, but felt like it and, of course, the above opinions are my own.

Review 142: Facing Frederick

Facing Frederick: The Life of Frederick Douglass, a Monumental American Man by Tonya Bolden
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

This book’s audience is young people aged 10 to 14. The writing style reflects that and is an easy read. It is also a decent read. Frederick Douglass led a full life, most of it in the public. This book is a great place for adults to learn the outline of Douglass’ life, and with the bibliography at the end, has idea where to dig in deeper.

The book is well decorated, with a ribbon around the edging and contains many photographs, woodcuts and other images. Frederick Douglass was found of photography and he sat to have his picture taken many times. It was said he was the most photographed American of the 19th century.

Since I received a free copy of this book at a library conference the advance reader copy I have is in black and white. It is noted the book is published in color. I’m sure it looks spectacular.

I was not required to write a review, but felt like it and, of course, the above opinions are my own.

Previous book on Douglass: 

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself

read twice, last October 2003.

Review 141: My Struggle: Dancing in the Dark

My Struggle: Book 4 - Dancing in the Dark by Karl Ove Knausgård
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This installment of the series is mostly about Karl Ove's one year teaching, when he was 18 to 19, in Northern Norway. There is some backwards looking, and briefly going forward, but mostly around that time of teaching. It's a very small town where he is teaching. They always have young temporary teachers, people don't seem to stay. Since his age was only a couple years older than some of the students he has attractions, but doesn't act on anything. He does briefly go out with a 16 year old that is going to school in another town close by and his students remark on it. Karl Ove breaks it off quickly, before anything really develops with her.

The book is mostly linear, but there are some points when he goes back in time, and also briefly forward. One part he said years later, maybe eleven, he wrote a novel (his first) about that time as a teacher, most of it was the school, town and the characters. He worried what the people from the town would think. Then two girls came to see him speak, from the town. They had met up at a coffee shop. Karl Ove was nervous, of course, and one was the young girl in the school that he liked, and wrote about. They discussed it briefly and turned out to be okay. Nothing every happened either, by then he was married.

The book is still continuing the relationship with his father. A large part of the digression from the main story line was about the time when his parents split up, his dad started drinking a lot. Karl Ove is drinking a lot in this book as well, and there seem to be similarities that aren't discussed.

I found myself getting a little bored with some of the teenage boyhood desires for a date, for having sex with someone, anyone. It occupied more of the books pages than I wanted to read. I'll still continue on the series, most likely, but it may be some time before I get to the next book. Hopefully not three years like this one took.

Previous books read in series:

• My Struggle: Book 1: Death in the Family 
• read: May.06-24, 2016
• My Struggle: Book 2: A Man in Love 
• read: July.05-Aug.08 2016
• My Struggle: Book 3: Boyhood
• read: May.15-24 2017

All rated 5 stars