Brief Review 224: Fall on Your Knees

Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Ugh that father! This type of book is hard to read at times, but the writing was good.

Review 223: Remember

Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting by Lisa Genova
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This is a general book on memory, looking at general brain function in that area. It covers how your memory tends to work, and why it doesn’t, such as when you don’t pay close attention to something, you aren’t likely going to remember it.

The book also goes over a few ways to keep your brain healthy, and how to optimize memory, using tricks such as a “memory palace” which is a word association with images. Genova also covers Alzheimer’s, very briefly, as well as ways to help prevent the effects as we age. Although research is still ongoing, following these actions such as: getting enough sleep (7-9 hour per night), eating healthy and getting aerobic exercise will always be good advice.

This may be something to read as a companion with Jonathan Foer’s Moonwalking with Einstein, about people who compete in Memory competitions. As this book gives more general and practical advice about memory.

I listened to the audiobook and the author as narrator did a decent job of the task.

Review 222: Irons in the Fire

Irons in the Fire by John McPhee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



There are seven essays in the short book, listed below with a few words on each.

Irons in the Fire – title essay about the brands in Nevada, marking the cattle that protects them from rustlers. Thieves still abound, at least by the mid-1990s when the book was released. McPhee follows the Nevada Brand Inspector, learning about epic cases of cattle stealing and a little on brand marks.

Release – short essay about a blind writer who found technology helped him with his writing, an IBM PC. Somewhat antiquated now, but a decent essay, nonetheless.

In Virgin Forest – Trees! A very short essay on a virgin forest found in New Jersey, of all places. The essay talks about how this came to pass and how it will remain.

The Gravel Page – The longest essay (66 pages) & my favorite. Forensic geology. How it is done and how the FBI solved a few high-profile cases using rocks. McPhee has a way of finding and talking to amazing people! A lot about geology in this essay.

Duty of Care – An interesting essay about tires, used tires. What has happened with them in the United States (at least in the past) is just bury them. But they have use after being a tire, and a lot of stored energy. Hopefully used tires today are being reused and recycled in a better manner than 25 or so years ago.

Rinard at Manheim – Exotic cars, what more needs to be said. At least it was short, only 6 pages, shortest essay of the book.

Travels of the Rock – This was an eye-opener. "The Rock" is Plymouth rock, you know the one where the Pilgrims “landed” and thus began the mythology on the founding of the United States. The rock itself has diminished greatly since the mid-1600’s. Around the time of the revolution it split in half, with one part going North. Once reunited the rock wasn’t put together properly and this essay covered much of that restoration. This essay was excellent, another favorite.

Previously Read John McPhee books:

Assembling California (4 stars) - April.2018

Crofter and the Laird  (5 stars) - May.2019

Review 221: Little Pieces of Me

Little Pieces of Me by Alison Hammer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



How would you react if you found out your dad who raised you turns out to not be your DNA dad? Two years after her father’s death Paige gets an email alert from a DNA test taken a while back that she has a new connection, a parent-child relationship. The shock of this information would be significant. Paige feels like she doesn’t know who she is anymore.

The novel also shows us what happened back when Paige was conceived, with her mother Betsy and her relationship with both men. We get to know the mother in ways that Paige never did while growing up. This dual timeline works well.

Combined in the mix is Paige’s upcoming wedding, although it seems to take a back seat to the paternity issue and trying to find out what happened and who knew what. We also have Paige’s younger twin sisters, who seem to be turning 20 instead of 30.

Parts of the novel seemed to drag somewhat as there is a lot of Paige running away, or at least leaving the immediate area, when confronted with her Mom or her biological dad. There were times of frustration when reading as this just seemed to extend out the book in a way that didn’t seem realistic for the character. It made me want to know more about her life leading up being 40 and soon to be married, what happened in the past twenty years? Why is her relationship so broken with her mother they never did try to repair it?

What brought this book down was the last chapter of the book. It ruined part of the story line and would’ve be a stronger book with that left out.


Thanks to William Morrow and Custom House and NetGalley for an uncorrected electronic advance review copy of this book.

Review 220: Friends from Home

Friends from Home by Lauryn Chamberlain
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



The first few chapters of this book felt like this was going to be a light read with the main character shocked her childhood friend was getting married. Jules/Julie is in New York working in publishing and trying to make her way while Michelle, her friend since age 8, still in Alabama just announced her upcoming wedding. These two friends are on different tracks and the book focus is on friendships and meaning and what happens when the two people seem to want different things in life, or at least at a different pace.

As the book and story develops, there becomes a deeper dive into the meaning of friendships and even touching on love, relationships, and more.

The book will likely appeal more with people in their mid-twenties, particularly women. Yet anyone who reads this book will find themselves giving thoughts to their childhood friends, how their relationship and changed and evolved through the years.


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

Review 219: We Run the Tides

We Run the Tides by Vendela Vida
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



A quick read about young teens and friends and discovering who they are. Eulabee is one that doesn’t go along with her friends in lying about something she didn’t see. In turn they expel her from their group. Months later, still friendless, Eulabee’s ex-best friend is missing.
Most of the book is about Eulabee during her time without friends but it doesn’t belabor the point of her being lonely.

The writing propels you to continue reading, wondering what will happen, how will everything be resolved. It is hard not to connect with Eulabee and her struggles.


Thanks to Ecco and NetGalley for an uncorrected electronic advance review copy of this book.

Review 218: Three-Martini Afternoons at the Ritz

Three-Martini Afternoons at the Ritz: The Rebellion of Sylvia Plath & Anne Sexton by Gail Crowther
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Here we have two women poets who came of age in the 1950s. They struggled to be writers while juggling married life and children. This was during a time of that expectations for a woman was solely as a mother or wife. Plath and Sexton rebelled and pushed against the conventions of the day. Unfortunately the two also struggled with mental illness.

This biography of Plath and Sexton compares the lives of the two friends, mostly in a chronological manner. Each chapter took on a subject such as “Early Days”, “Mothering” and “Mental Illness”. It would talk about Sexton then Plath or the other way around. While they were friends, meeting in Boston in a writing course, they didn’t always live near each other as Plath moved to England with Ted Hughes.

One aspect of the book I appreciated was how the Crowther made points on why these two women are important for today. They were trailblazers as women writers and are still relevant. Today women still are not on equal footing with men; although there are a multitude of women authors and poets, men are still regarded more highly than their female counterparts, such as with their books reviewed more often. Crowther points out that when men write autobiographies words often used to describe them include brilliant and sensitive, while the same type of book by women are described as confessional and overemotional. While there is progress it is still not equal.

The format and material worked well for me. I certainly will look upon their poems with new insight and understanding.


Thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for an uncorrected electronic advance review copy of this book.

Review 217: Switch

Switch by A.S. King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



The book starts out difficult to read. The text is unusual, jarring with the slash marks. The nature of the story is unusual, time has stopped and Tru's house has plywood boxes, covering the switch. Her father built boxes around boxes, hers is box#7 with a Tru sized hole in it, her brother’s #11. It’s odd.
After a little while the story starts to cohere, the flow finds itself, and I sank into the story.

What we have is a misfunctioning family, it’s torn apart. The older sister was a pathological liar, of extreme. Her mother left, the father lost his job. She the sister is now gone, still calls and tells more lies. The house shifts and these aspects in the story feel like metaphors for what is going on with the family, or society. The metaphors are abundant in the book.

One could look at the stopped time as a correlation to the pandemic, or perhaps it is more closely related to the family.

It’s a wild ride of a book, and I have a feeling teen readers will connect with the book. It approaches difficult subjects and deals with them, but not in a straight-forward manner.


Thanks to Dutton Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for an uncorrected electronic advance review copy of this book.

Review 216: The Visitant

The Visitant by Kathleen O'Neal Gear
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

This was a quick read for me, as the Gears know how to write a book that keeps your interest. I’ve read many from their main series (North America's Forgotten Past) and enjoyed most of them immensely. They are a pleasure read for me.

This book is a start of a three-book series. It is told in two timelines, one is the present (around 1990’s) the other in the long ago past during the time of the native people of the Anasazi, with most of the page length to the later timeline.

The current timeline has an archaeology dig team in the same location as the other story line. There is a personality conflict with two of the team members that draws some drama, maybe unnecessary. The team also consists of local native women who are overseeing the site and dig, which lends insight as well with their spiritual understanding of objects found.

The far past timeline is focused on a murder mystery, a great evil that killed mostly girls who were already sick. The main character is the War Chief, Browser who not only lost his sick boy but also his wife who was murdered, but then the body disappeared. He summons his great uncle to help in solving these crimes. Unfortunately as the book continues the evil that is sweeping across their town is not done.

Since the books focus on so much evil and murder, I don’t think I’m going to continue reading the series. It ends well enough for the one book that it’s not left open ended. I do like how it left off with the archaeologists, particularly the two that were not getting along.

Previously Read Kathleen O'Neal Gear books  - so many.  For now I'll just post a link to the series, as mentioned above.  

North America's Forgotten Past which was previously a series titled:  First North Americans

I've read books #1 - 16 in the series, although not entirely in order. Most with 4 stars, some exceptions.

Review 215: The Final Revival of Opal & Nev

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is a fictional music biography that focuses its lens on Opal Jewel and Nev Charles, particularly with the event in the ‘70s that propelled them to stardom. One of their first big gigs ended up in a riot where the drummer Jimmy died. Turns out the narrator, who is researching for her book is the daughter of Jimmy, who died before she was born. Also, Opal was having an affair with Jimmy. 

What caused the riot is racism.

There is much to love in this book, but also places that became a bit tedious, at times. The format of the book is similar to several others, an oral history with multiple voices, while once was unique and exciting, with this book which mimics the format, it becomes a bit stale. 

Yet, I did enjoy the book in the end. It is hard not to cringe and rejoice at the strong character of Opal Jewel. 

Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an uncorrected electronic advance review copy of this book.

It's hard not to love the strong young woman Opal Jewel!

Review 214: Oval

Oval by Elvia Wilk
My rating: 2.75 of 5 stars

Part of the book was interesting, mostly in the beginning, then it seemed to go off the rails for me. This is a fictional book taking place in the near future in Berlin. A big part of the book is the house where Anja and Louis live, a new type of eco-community that is completely sustainable. Yet there are cameras everywhere and the company involved is where Anja works, who just got fired but then hired as a consultant. Anyway, when it ended I just had to ask -- what did I just read? I know much of it is satire, but still trying to make sense of it.

Review 213: Deep Creek

Deep Creek: Finding Hope in the High Country by Pam Houston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This may be one of the top reads of the year for me. A non-fiction account of the ranch and 120 acres that Houston bought with barely enough income. The winters are brutal, and she is away from the ranch quite a lot of the time due to her job, teaching writing in another state, and other places.

The book created a strong desire in me to buy land and live on it. Not that I want all the animals, just the trees and views, mountains, and nature, wilderness here outside my door.