Cat’s Claw by Dolores Hitchens

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Rachel Murdock is an apple-cheeked, white-haired little old lady who lives with her prim sister Jennifer in Los Angeles. You’d think these elderly ladies would be quiet and staid, and in Miss Jennifer’s case you’d be right.  Miss Rachel, however, has become quite the fan of crime solving, much to her sister’s mortification. 

 

When a man is hit by a car nearby and the incident is not reported, Miss Rachel contacts the police—namely, her friend Lt. Mayhew—to investigate.  The people living in the rented house next door have vanished, leaving behind few clues except for the painting of a mountain in California marked San Cayetano.

 

Miss Rachel, being Miss Rachel, decides that she’s going to take a little vacation. 

 

In San Cayetano.

 

This is not a series to everyone’s taste, but I love it.  The books were written in the 1940s and 50s (this title came out in 1943) and haven’t been edited to suit modern tastes. Miss Jennifer turns positively pink at the mention of “petticoats” or (gasp!) any other undergarments. Samantha, the black cat of the title, has to be let out at intervals because the invention of cat litter is still a few years in the future. And despite the elderly protagonist, the crimes aren’t genteel at all.

 

Miss Rachel is a movie fan and, for me, the books read like one of those old black and white detective tales.  I can see Lt. Mayhew in his broad shouldered coat and the pale blonde of a woman’s hair.  Some of the scenes are theatrical indeed, and again I can see those play out as if in a movie.  World War II is firmly in the background, though there are mentions of men enlisting or going to work in war-related industries, which again reflects the escapism of the time.

 

For some readers, Miss Rachel is just a nosey old woman who ought to mind her own business.  I see Miss Rachel as someone who is determined to live life while she can and who enjoys the excitement. She’s also very independent, and while she gets herself into some scrapes, she also gets herself out of them.

 

The series doesn’t need to be read in order, but the first book is The Cat Saw Murder. There were twelve titles in the series, originally written under the more masculine  name D.B. Olsen, but which are now being reprinted under the author’s real name.

The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Jackie is a social worker and therapist, dealing mostly with troubled children, helping them to process traumas and build family and social relationships.  She’s good at it; she’s not so good at repairing breaks with her own family, especially not with her sister, Lexie.  Lexie was always the golden child, the one for whom things came easily.  She was also very good at pushing people’s buttons, especially Jackie’s.

But Lexie has struggled with her mental heath the past few years, and Jackie has tried to distance herself—both literally and figuratively.  She’s moved across the country and limited her contact with her erratic sister, ignoring phone calls and never visiting. After one particularly manic episode, Jackie steels herself and returns Lexie’s call but Lexie doesn’t answer.

Lexie has drowned in the family pool at their grandmother’s house.

Jackie—or Jax, as Lexie dubbed her, calling them the X girls—goes to clear out Lexie’s things and finds that Lexie had become obsessed with researching the history of their family and their property, especially the spring that feeds the pool.  There are a lot of stories about that spring: it’s rumored to have healing properties. It’s also rumored to grant wishes.

One should always be careful what one wishes for.

I am not a horror reader as a rule.  I don’t care for gore and guts or slime.  This time of year, though, I do start looking for books that are a bit creepy, maybe with ghosts, and with lots of atmosphere.  Jennifer McMahon has a number of books out that fit that description so I decided to give The Drowning Kind a try.  It met my expectations wonderfully. I like character-driven books, which this is.  The story is told from Jackie’s point of view, but also from the perspective of Ethel, a young wife in the late 1920s who goes with her husband to a hotel rumored to have the most amazing healing spring. It’s very well-written, with beautifully descriptive passages.  Even though I had a pretty good idea where the plot was going, I was anxious to see what would happen next.  I found myself caught up in both worlds, and hated to have to close the book. The Drowning Kind was a memorable novel for me and I expect I will be reading other titles by Jennifer McMahon in the future.

Sleepytime by Joe Brumm

Reviewed by Kristin

Or, a love letter to the creators of Bluey books and episodes, from Kristin

In case you haven’t heard of Bluey, she is a cartoon dog. She has a little sister named Bingo, and they live in Australia with Mum and Dad. The show has attracted worldwide attention and is now showing on Disney Plus. The shows and the books can be viewed and read on many different levels, which seems to be why adults like Bluey as much as their kids.

Bluey and Bingo love to play. You won’t find any alphabet songs, number games, or learning to go potty here. They learn through play with their friends and their parents. They go with Mum and/or Dad to the creek, the beach, or the playground. They have cookouts and picnics with family friends. There is much laughter, silliness, and love. The background music is often classical, and the theme song is an earworm.

I have found that some of the paperback books published are a little stilted, as if someone decided to take a show script and copy and paste it into a book. That’s not entirely a bad thing, as adults may want to avoid screens with their young children, whether at bedtime or not.

Sleepytime, however, is another story (no pun intended). Both the episode and the book are beautifully presented. Little sister Bingo is the focus of this story, as she decides that she wants to do a “Big Girl sleep” and wake up in her own bed. Mum has read Bingo a bedtime story or two, tucks her in, and says, “Remember, I’m always here if you need me.”

Bingo drifts off to sleep and begins to dream of floating through the universe. Her bunny Floppy floats along with her, swooping past suns and planets. It’s about this point that I realized Bingo’s dreams are actually related to her sleepwalking into a variety of other beds. As she finds a really big planet and decides it’s fun to jump on, Bluey joins in (as they both kick Dad, aka the big planet).

As Bingo continues to travel the universe (and her blanket slips off) she becomes cold, and is drawn to an approaching warm sphere of light, which of course, is Mum. Mum tucks Bingo in again, and says, “Remember, I’ll always be here for you. Even if you can’t see me. Because I love you.” (Cue the tears from the adults…)

I highly recommend this as a peaceful bedtime story for toddlers and pre-schoolers.

The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo

 

Reviewed by Kristin

While browsing Tennessee READS for an audiobook, I came across The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo. I almost didn’t check it out because I had never heard of the author (despite the fact that this debut was a New York Times bestseller—I just missed it!) and also it was long—20 ½ hours! The cover was attractive though, with four yellow ginkgo leaves lying in a vertical line with the title overlaying the image. The title itself is also a little non-descript, but I decided to give it a try. I’m glad I did.

David Sorenson and Marilyn Connolly met, fell in love, married, and started a family, all in quick succession. David is a young doctor and is struggling to build his family practice. Marilyn is almost done with her own degree when first daughter Wendy is born, and she quickly decides that balancing exams with motherhood is too difficult. Not to mention, second daughter Violet comes along less than a year later. When Liza arrives there are three, and then a decade later there is Grace.

The story moves back and forth in time, telling the Sorenson’s story in pieces. David and Marilyn remain madly and demonstratively in love with each other through the decades, creating a “perfect” relationship model. With their parents seeming so happy, the girls question whether they will ever find true love. Despite their common roots, each of David and Marilyn’s daughters grow up to be very different and unique people.

Wendy is an independent soul from the start. Wendy married a wealthy, somewhat older man and then is widowed all too soon. At first, this is presented a bit stereotypically with a lot of alcohol and an extravagant lifestyle, but as the story progresses we learn more about both the happiness and the pain Wendy has endured.

Violet is definitely a type A personality, making straight A’s, going to college and law school, and eventually becoming a stay-at-home mom who manages her family’s schedule as if she’s still billing in six minute increments. Tightly wound, Violet still has insecurities that she tries to hide from everyone, perhaps even herself.

Liza is overshadowed by her older sisters, but manages to become a tenured professor in her early 30’s. She has been living with Ryan for almost a decade, and they are having a baby. But Ryan won’t get off the couch, and living with someone who is likely clinically depressed is wearing on Liza.

Grace has finally left the family home in Chicago, going to college in Oregon and then applying to law schools on the west coast. She is the furthest away geographically, and perhaps the one most uncertain of herself. Grace feels the pressure of measuring up to her older sisters who have always thought of her as the baby.

And there is Jonah. The baby given up for adoption fifteen years ago by one of the daughters, who is back in their lives after a series of events which left him in foster care for most of his life.

This cast of characters is woven together with strands of love, but pulled and pushed in different directions with the stresses of their situations and the decisions they have made. Lombardo’s writing is moving, and she skillfully reveals motives for characters’ previous actions at just the right moments. This is a family saga worth reading; yes, even over several hundred pages or many hours in the car.

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

 

Reviewed by Abby

Camino and Yahaira are only two months apart in age but lead very different lives in two different countries.  In the Dominican Republic, Camino does healing work with her mother and swims in the ocean in her free time. She is only able to afford school with the money her father leaves her family but dreams of going to medical school in the United States one day.  Meanwhile, in New York Yahaira has a caring girlfriend and loves to play chess competitively. She never has to worry about money.  Camino and Yahaira do have one thing in common, though:  they each love their papi, their father, very very much.

And it’s the same papi.  Yes, he has two families, but neither daughter knows. Other family members do know, but they had decided not to tell the girls to avoid having them view their papi in a negative light. 

Then Papi dies in a plane crash on his way from New York to the Dominican Republic to visit Camino’s family. First there is the shock of losing their beloved papi, followed by the shock of learning about his double life.  The girls feel confused and betrayed by their families for hiding such a huge secret. They are also jealous of each other and begin to question why papi chose to travel so often. Who did he really love more?

Clap When You Land showcases the development of grief and familial bonds. Acevedo’s powerful way with words has resulted in a beautifully narrated Young Adult novel that will appeal to adult readers as well. Acevedo was a slam poet before she began writing books. She chose to write this novel in poetic free verse, which makes for a lighter read. It is astonishing to me how she was able to capture the emotions within this story so easily with her use of poetry. I finished it quickly even with its 432 page count!

(Not so fun) fact: This plane crash was actually based on a true event. On November 12, 2001, American Airlines Flight 587 was set to travel from New York to the Dominican Republic. The plane ended up crashing before it departed the city and left no survivors. This was a significant date in Dominican and American history that was unfortunately overshadowed by the events of 9/11 once people learned it was not caused by a terrorist attack.

I would highly recommend this book, especially because of its tie in with the true historical event. I had not heard about the Flight 587 plane crash until after reading Clap When You Land, even though it was a truly monumental incident in U.S. history.

Three Witches in a Small Town by Willie E. Dalton

Reviewed by Jeanne

Sisters Agatha, Maeve, and Cerulean have all left their small hometown in the mountains to make their own way in the world, but when Mamaw Mabry calls, they return. Mamaw feels that her time is drawing near.  She wants the girls to have a last chance to learn from her before she departs this world for the next.

The girls are devoted to their grandmother, having grown up under her watchful eye.  They have always known that they have certain gifts—reading tea leaves, premonitions, and the like—but now Mamaw needs them to hone these gifts and to accept their destinies as Appalachian witches.  They will need to help their community once she is gone.

Bound by love to Mabry, her granddaughters are determined to do what they can to please her-- but can these girls be happy living in a small town?

This book is by local author Willie E. Dalton who won the Jan-Carol Publishing Believe and Achieve Award.  It’s more of a romance than I expected; it’s pretty obvious from the beginning that each sister is going to find a too good to be true man to adore her. Somehow I don’t get a strong sense of place other than rural.  Briars and dirt roads are pretty much everywhere as are Home Depots and Targets.  I would like to have seen more character development and more showing and less telling.

The New Age/ Appalachian witch parts were well done; more description and feeling came through.  The strong ties to herbs and the natural world were also bright spots.

Overall, I think this is a good debut.  The parts written from Mabry’s point of view are the strongest and some of the scenes near the end are very nice indeed.  I’d have enjoyed it more if it had been a little more fleshed out in terms of characters and place, but I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for local tales brushed with magic.

Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

 

 

Reviewed by Lisa

 

Ten-tear-old Della has always had her older sister, Suki: When their mom went to prison, Della had Suki. When their mom's boyfriend took them in, Della had Suki. When that same boyfriend did something so awful they had to run fast, Della had Suki. Suki is Della's own wolf--her protector. But who has been protecting Suki? Della might get told off for swearing at school, but she has always known how to keep quiet where it counts. Then Suki tries to kill herself, and Della's world turns so far upside down, it feels like it's shaking her by the ankles. Maybe she's been quiet about the wrong things. Maybe it's time to be loud.

 

This story is told from Della’s point of view, who is unaware of what had been happening to Suki while they lived with their mother’s boyfriend. When something so bad happens that they are removed from the home and put in foster care, things seem fine at first. Then Suki starts to break down. 

 

    If you have read any of Kimberly Brubaker Bradley’s other books, you know she manages to create a powerful emotional impact on the reader. This book is certainly no exception. She manages to take a painful subject (child sexual abuse) and turn it into a moving story filled with compassion and infused with humor. You will get hooked in the first few pages, and will want to know more about Della and her purple high-tops and creative cursing. You will admire Suki’s fierce determination to take care of her sister, and worry about her when she starts to withdraw.

 

This is an important story that needs to be told in order to bring some light into an area that is too often hidden in hushed whispers and shame. Kimberly Brubaker Bradley blew me away with her writing skills and her honesty. When you finish this book, I hope you exclaim like I did, “Well, snow!”

The Majesties by Tiffany Tsao

Reviewed by Christy

            Estella and Gwendolyn are part of a very large and very rich Chinese-Indonesian family. The two sisters have always been close and each other’s best friends. So when Gwendolyn finds herself in a coma, unable to regain consciousness but still fully aware, she is devastated and confused. She is the only survivor of Estella’s poisoning of their entire family (as well as a significant number of family friends) at their grandfather’s birthday celebration.

            The entire novel consists of Gwendolyn rifling through her memories and trying to figure out what could push Estella so far over the edge. Tsao writes a compelling narrative. Gwendolyn jumps around in time quite a bit, and it can be disorienting. But I think it works well with a mystery as she slowly reveals more information. It also seemed realistic given her circumstances. The story of the family’s climb to power and wealth is rich and layered, as are Estella and Gwendolyn as characters. Tsao’s writing is mostly straight forward with poetic dashes thrown in here and there. I enjoyed my time reading her book – for the most part.

            The ending, however, is where it almost all collapses for me. I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone but it includes a trope that is, in my opinion, very overdone and one of my least favorites. It’s particularly disappointing because I do think the story is strong and with a few tweaks of the ending, it would be a solid 4 or 5 star read. There didn’t need to be a gimmick. As it is, it was only an unexceptional 3 star read for me. If you’re a reader who doesn’t let an unsatisfying ending negatively influence your reading experience, you might like it more.

** I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. **