Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce (book review)
She’s going too far to go it alone. It is 1950. London is still reeling from World War II, and Margery Benson, a schoolteacher and spinster, is trying to get through life, surviving on scraps. One day, she reaches her breaking point, abandoning her job and small existence to set [...]
Wicked by Gregory Maguire (book review)
When Dorothy triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West in L. Frank Baum's classic tale we heard only her side of the story. But what about her arch-nemesis, the mysterious Witch? Where did she come from? How did she become so wicked? And what is the true nature of [...]
The Chicken Sisters by K.J. Dell’Antonia (book review)
Three generations. Two chicken shacks. One recipe for disaster. In tiny Merinac, Kansas, Chicken Mimi's and Chicken Frannie's have spent a century vying to serve up the best fried chicken in the state--and the legendary feud between their respective owners, the Moores and the Pogociellos, has lasted just as long. [...]
The Letter Keeper by Charles Martin (book review)
He shows up when all hope is lost. Murphy Shepherd has made a career of finding those no one else could—survivors of human trafficking. His life’s mission is helping others find freedom. But then the nightmare strikes too close to home . When his new wife, her daughter, and two [...]
2022 Reading Challenge: Quantity and Variety
It's that time of year again--reading goals! I've very much enjoyed my two-part reading challenges the past few years, so I'm going to continue again for 2022. - Quantity - Variety I won't lie: meeting the challenge in 2021 was a lot harder than previous years. I was tempted to [...]