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Showing posts from April, 2024

Book Review: The First Ladies by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

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The First Ladies by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray is a historical fiction novel that spans many years and tells of the friendship between former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt and civil rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune. I don't know if I would have picked up this book if it hadn't been the August selection for one of the book clubs I belong to in my area because I don't read a lot of historical fiction. However, I am so glad that I read it and was able to learn many things I hadn't learned about in any of my history classes.  I don't recall learning anything about Mary McLeod Bethune, and she is an important part of American history. The things she helped spearhead to provide African American people equal rights is quite impressive. One of the things I was horrified to learn about is Franklin D. Roosevelt's resistance to stop lynchings because he was afraid of losing the Southern Democrats backing for his New Deal Bill. Another thing that I fo...
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Book Review: Ashley's War, The Untold Story of a Team of Women Soldiers on the Special Ops Battlefield by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon

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Book Review: Ashley's War, The Untold Story of a Team of Women Soldiers on the Special Ops Battlefield by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon Ashley's War:  The Untold Story of a Team of Women Soldiers on the Special Ops Battlefield by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon is a non-fiction book published in April 2015.  The story follows several women and their quest to become the first women to be in combat along the Green Berets and Army Rangers. This is a book that was selected in my workplace for discussion between women and/or veterans.  The book discussion was broken into three parts much like how the story was broken up.  It garnered great conversations. Some of the things that happened in the book didn't surprise me, such as how physically demanding the tryouts were to be part of the special operations.  It's a demanding job that requires people to be not only physically strong but mentally strong.     What did shock me was that it took the military so long to allow w...
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Book Review: Finlay Donovan Rolls The Dice (Finlay Donovan, #4) by Elle Cosimano

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Finlay Donovan Rolls The Dice (Finlay Donovan, #4)  by Elle Cosimano opens with Finlay Donovan and her nanny, Vero, planning a trip to Atlantic City to pay off some debts, find Javi, and retrieve a stolen car.  But first, they come up with a cover story that backfires miserably.  Finlay and Vero have to be clever and sneaky to accomplish what they set out to do, but will they have to come clean? Thank you, NetGalley, for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Finlay Donovan Rolls The Dice (Finlay Donovan, #4) by Elle Cosimano.  This is one of the books I was most excited about being able to read before it was in stores.  I received the eBook for free in exchange for my honest review. The fourth installment picks up where the last book ended and ties up the loose ends from Finlay Donovan Knocks Them Dead (Finlay Donovan, #3)  . . . so much so that I thought that this was going to be the last book in the series.  However, Finlay Donovan Rolls The Dice ends u...
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Book Review: Veronica Ruiz Breaks The Bank (Finlay Donovan, #3.5) by Elle Cosimano

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Veronica Ruiz Breaks The Bank (Finlay Donovan, #3.5) by Elle Cosimano is a short story that gives the reader some background on Veronica "Vero" Ruiz.  Vero is on the run after being accused of stealing money from her sorority and lands at her cousin Ramon's apartment to start her life over.  Utilizing a fake name, Vero lands a job as a custodian at a local bank where money has gone missing.  Can she help solve this mystery without revealing her true identity? I had no idea that Elle Cosimano came out with a short story about one of the secondary characters in the Finlay Donovan series.  When Amazon.com suggested this book to me, I was over the moon with excitement.  Without hesitation, I purchased and downloaded the book. Learning about Vero's backstory was very interesting to me, and I love that readers were able to see that this character was always spunky and took no prisoners.  Even though Finlay Donovan doesn't make an appearance until the end of the ...
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Book Review: Public Anchovy #1 (Deep Dish Mysteries, #3) by Mindy Quigley

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Public Anchovy #1 (Deep Dish Mysteries, #3) by Mindy Quigley was published on December 26, 2023 and opens with Delilah O'Leary on her way to a library fundraiser where she's providing the catering.  Of course, everything that can go wrong does go wrong . . . a last minute guest has a special dietary request . . . no gluten, no dairy, and no nightshade foods.  Upon arriving at the Prohibition themed dinner, one of the guests falls down the stairs and dies.  Then, a storm takes out the power, causing most of the guests and staff to be trapped in the remote mansion.  Can Delilah use her skills to deduce what happened? I received an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Public Anchovy #1 from NetGalley for free in exchange for my honest review.  Thrilled, excited, and delighted were just a few of the words I can use to describe how I felt when I found out I was approved to receive this advanced copy. Although the story started off a bit slow, it picked up quickly when th...
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