cjeanne99's reviews
963 reviews

If the subtitle had read - a Novel of Delia Spencer Caton Field and the Gilded Age - then I wouldn’t be so disappointed in this novel. I was hoping for more information about how Marshall Field started as a Chicago businessman, his part in the Haymarket riots, how he built his empire. I got glimpses of that information - all seen through Delia’s eyes. Because what Delia wanted, was Marshall Field. 

Two families deal with harsh realities of life and children growing up; sisters/cousins, women/the men the love, mothers/daughters also grow. Some for the better - and some are left struggling. One family pulls together as they deal with the aftermath of a brutal attack on one of their girls. 
The other family is splintered - and continues to fall apart. 
I think this book will stick with me  - and be haunting my dreams.

Photographer Jordan Glass is in Hong Kong. At the recommendation of a friend, she visits an art museum where she is stunned to find a gallery of paintings of “sleeping women” - all nudes, mostly painted in bathtubs, and all appear to be dead. Including a painting of her identical twin sister, who disappeared from her New Orleans neighborhood over a year ago - and is presumed to be the victim of the same person who murdered 10 other women in New Orleans, although Jane’s body has never been found. 
Jordan contacts the FBI to let them know of the painting, she heads for New York with instructions to fly to Washington DC after she lands. While on the plane she makes some calls, and comes up with the name of the art dealer who sold the paintings to the collector who was displaying them in Hong Kong. Instead of going directly to DC - she detours to do her own investigation with the dealer - who has one more painting of a sleeping woman that he is about to ship out. He claims to have no knowledge of the painter - and then

dies when someone sets his gallery/living quarters on fire. Jordan escapes and captures a picture of the person she thinks is the arsonist in the crowd

.
This unleashes an FBI investigation with Jordan, a private citizen, as a full participant in the process. Paintings are examined, including some that are owned by a man who lives in the Cayman Islands to avoid extradition for an unrelated incident. 
The paintings were painted using a unique brush - a supply of which are used by the head of the Tulane art department, and his three graduate program students. As the FBI investigates, Jordan is right there, interviewing suspects, gathering information, and eventually, being kidnapped herself. 
The plot kept me entertained and guessing. 

Charlie Manx just wants the children to be happy. So he created Christmasland - where the children are happy every day, drinking hot cocoa and playing their Christmasland games. Charlie finds  children who he believes are in danger of being exploited by their parents, and rescues them. Or so he believes. He builds his entourage, and then he unsuccessfully tries to “rescue” Vic McQueen -  Charlie is incarcerated, Vic is rescued by Lou Carmody - who she lives with and has a son, Wayne Bruce.
Prior to meeting Manx, Vic had a portal experience with her bicycle and a bridge. She rode from her suburban Boston home to Portsmouth, New Hampshire in minutes - and retrieved her mother’s bracelet. She rode from home to Here, Iowa where she meets librarian Maggie - who uses her scrabble tiles to glean information about other things - particularly as they relate to Charlie Manx. 
Wayne gets older, and Vic uses her art to first decorate motorcycles, and then to create a children’s book series of mazes and challenges. Then she begins to receive phone calls from Christmasland. She refuses to join Charlie Manx - so Charlie - who died after being in a coma for five years - uses other means for recruiting Vic. 
I liked Bing Partridge’s character. He’s disgusting and creepy and an extreme sycophant - but he was a great addition to the story line.

I’m going to have to read this again as I don’t remember the details. But I do remember that this book grabbed me. Eugene and Finny were so real to me. Fifty years later I still remember how much I loved this book. 

A favorite of my children - so glad I could introduce granddaughter Mara to the great green room, the little bunny, and of course, the old lady whispering “hush” - which has to be spoken in.a very exact manner prescribed by my son when he was three. 
Fun to learn that this book was not allowed at the New York Public Library for a few years. 
https://www.themarysue.com/goodnight-moon-controversy-why-was-the-beloved-book-banned-for-25-years/

Will Noor fulfill the prophecy introduced in Book 4? We still don’t know. 

On a day when a convicted felon has been sworn in as the 47th president of the United States - I listened to this biography of George Floyd. The authors give us George Floyd, his youth in Houston, his success as a high school athlete, his challenges with addiction as a young man, his move to Minneapolis to make changes, and overall - his faith in God. We learn of his grandfather’s struggles as an African American landowner in the late 1800’s - who lost his land over an unpaid tax bill - leading the family back to sharecropping - the racism that George grew up with, and continued to live with every day of his life. 
We learn of Derek Chauvin’s family background, his early days on the police force where he was reprimanded for using excessive force. 
They give us George’s last day of life, and the lasting legacy that has come from his murder.  

In which we meet Arthur Less, novelist, approaching his 50th birthday, ex lover of renowned poet Robert Brownburn, and avoiding attending the wedding of his current ex - Freddy Pelu. What does Arthur do? he schedules a weeks long multi country tour to make sure he is far away during the big event.
These two blogs summarize Less better than I can.
I do like Arthur - and will read more of his adventures. 

http://www.actuallyitsrobpentydotorg.com/less/
https://reading-while-queer.tumblr.com/post/189832391444/less-andrew-sean-greer#notes

This book did not have the pace I usually associate with a Harlan Coben book - as in - I did not become so engrossed in the story that I had to stay up until 2:00 am to finish. 
The initial premise of Natalie and Jake falling madly in love in their short time in Vermont didn't gel with me. Especially what we learn later about Natalie -

Her father was a professor at the college that she claimed to have never seen and that her "artist's retreat" was just a cover for the Fresh Start org.  Why would she get romantically involved with anyone???

Plus - I found Jake to be annoying. 
And then there's Benedict - I did not mind the Myron/Win bromance aspects of Jake and Benedict - but again - when we learn the "truth" about Benedict - what? 

Dropping my original 3 rating to a 1.5  Finished this three days ago and I’m still brooding about the storyline. What about giving us Natalie’s story? Explain about her father and her obsession that led to her need to disappear for six years. 
And what the hell was she doing in those six years?? 
And why cyanide? 

And why could Natalie only get a Fresh Start for her crime - but once Jake is involved they both get to go into witness protection?