micasreads's reviews
988 reviews

Author: Samantha Greene Woodruff
Narrator: Helen Laser
Started: October 23, 2024
Finished: October 24, 2024
Format: Audio
Genre: Historical Fiction

Bea Abramowitz has always had a knack for numbers. When she begins studying the stock market with her father, she decides that she wants to be a broker - something unheard of in the 1920s. While analyzing the patterns of Wall Street, Bea realizes that something is wrong and tries to save her family from the worst of the stock market crash of 1929.

This was a well-written novel about a time when little is known about the women who took chances. The characters were easily likable, and I was interested in seeing how their stories ended. Bea was a woman who knew that her family's success was in her hands and that she did whatever was required to ensure they were not amongst the thousands of people whose lives fell apart during the Great Depression. The only aspect i was not a fan of is that the author based the character on Jesse Livermore and created female characters. I would have the story more if it had been based on a real woman. Men are the main characters in so much of history that it interests me to see what women were accomplishing at the same time.

Author: Laurie Notaro
Started: October 17, 2024
Finished: October 21,2024
Format: Digital
Genre: Historical Fiction

Winnie Ruth Judd arrives at the Los Angeles train station where her trunks have caught the attention of a porter. When they trunks are opened, the dismembered bodies of two women are found. Ruth disappears but is eventually caught and brought to trial. The lawyers fighting for her want her declared insane to save her life.

I consider myself a huge true crime fan, but I'd never heard of Ruth Judd or the murders she committed. It seems as it Ruth had some mental health issues that could not be properly diagnosed, let alone be treated in the 1930s. That being said, I do not believe her illness played a large part in the gruesome murder of two women she once called friends. This was an interesting story that was a bit longer than it should have been and was a bit slow in the middle. It seemed as if the author wanted to include every morsel of Ruth's life into this book, and all it did was make it a slow read. All in all, a decent read.

Author: Stephanie Wrobel
Narrator: Michael Crouch, et al
Started: October 17, 2024
Finished: October 19, 2024
Format: Audio
Genre: Thriller

Alfred Smettle is a Hitchcock superfan, to say the least. He is the owner of the Hitchcock Hoteli n the White Mountains, where he went to college. When he invites his former friends to celebrate the one year anniversary for a reunion, some accept because they feel they have no choice. When strange thins start to happen and secrets are revealed, the guests start to wonder if their past sins will come to haunt them.

This is a slow burn thriller that tells the story of murder, pay backm and the planning it takes to get even. The characters are unlikable as the author has meant them to be. Each has something in their past that makes them worthy of being killed in a Hitchcock like manner. The ending was not what I expected it to be,  and the twist was interesting. This was a decent read, and the narration was well done. If you want a whodunit that will keep you guessing, sdthen this is the one for you.

Author: Nora Roberts
Started: October 8, 2024
Finished: October 12, 2024
Format: Digital
Genre: General Fiction

After Sonya McTavish inherits a house from the uncle she never knew and learns of the with, Dobbs, who lives there, she has made every effort to make the manner her home and find a way tp get rid of the witch for good. Being pulled into the mirrorto learn the stories of the manors seven dead brides is key to uncovering the way to remove the curse Dobbs left behind.

I have actively awaited the chance to read the next book in The Lost Brides Trilogy. Nor Roberts writing seamlessly picks up from the end of book one easily, so it feels like a true continuation. The story is reaching its apex and working towards the showdown between Sonya and Dobbs and will be quite the scene, I am sure. Roberts writes amazing novels with just the right amount of closed door romance. I can't wait to read the final book  in the trilogy.

Author: Megan Cooley Peterson
Narrator: Lauren Enzo
Started: October 11, 2024
Finished: October 12, 2024
Format: Audio
Genre: YA Thriller

Bettina's family has always been of interest to the town, ever since her father killed her mother, and her words sent him to prison for  life.  Now, other women are being murdered in the same manner as her mother, and questions arise as to whether her father did it. Bettina and her new friend, Eugenia, are seeking answers as to who is committing the murders. The girls quickly realize they've bitten off more than they can chew.

This was a fun book to listen to. The narrator did a great job portraying all of the characters. It did not seem as if they were all done by the same person.  While I understand the reason for Bettina's ultimate unhappiness, the level of angst at the beginning of the story was a lot to  handle. Once she got over thinking everyone was going to ask about her mother's murder, she was a much easier to read character. The unlikely friendship between Bettina and the town's resident weird girl was a great twist to the story. The ending was unusual, and I liked that it surprised me.

 

Author: Amy Spalding 

Started: October 2, 2024 

Finished: October 4, 2024 

Format: Digital 

Genre: Sapphic Romance 

 

Max Van Doren, assistant to one of Hollywood's top agents, has goals of her own, including being an agent and having a girlfriend. When her roommate uses her as a tester for a self-actualization app, she feels her life-changing, especially when it comes to the bartender Sadie, whom she has a crush on. Will she be all she wants to be or burn out? 

 

I loved For Her Consideration, so I was very excited for this one but felt let down by the storyline. I felt Max did not just suffer from a lack of self-confidence but also seemed to hate who she was. The negativity was overwhelming. Sadie also wasn't a great character. She seemed to think she was better than others because she was "off the grid" and acted like anyone who used technology was ridiculous. The characters ended up annoying me more than I enjoyed them together. I hope the trilogy's next part will make up for this one.
  

Author: Christ Whitaker: 
Started: September 30, 2024
Finished: October 2, 2024
Format: Print
Genre: Thriller

Patch, a local boy, saves the daughter of a wealthy family when she is attacked, and he ends up disappearing. When he is found, he is set on a life's mission of finding the young girl who he believes spent months in the dark with him. He will do anything he needs to find Grace. Those who love him realize that his obsession could end with Patch on the wrong side of the law.

This was a very long, slow thriller that spans from 1975-2001 , in large chunks. We get to know each character in a very intimate way. We go through the search for Patch and how it affected his friend Saint, but then we also go through Patch's search for Grace. We get to watch Patch grow from a young man to an adult who feels like an outcast and is looking for his place in the world. This is a well-done slow burn thriller, but it was worth the time it took to read it.

 

Author: Laurie Halse Anderson 

Started: September 22. 2024 

Finished: September 22, 2024 

Format: Print 

Genre: Contemporary Fiction 

 

Melinda starts high school as an outcast because she called the police to a party - but no one bothered to ask why. As the unwanted at school and too afraid to tell her parents the truth, Melinda only speaks when necessary. When she finally comes to accept that she was raped, she finds her voice. 

 

I started this book with the sole purpose of reading a banned book, but what I found was a story many women, including myself, can relate to. Melinda's fear of naming her rapist, her IT, is very real and very common. Facing the fact that you have been raped is dealing with the fear, the shame, and the loss of control over the sadness and the anger. My heart raced for the last quarter of the book and I was so proud of Melinda when she finally told her truth and even more proud, when facing her rapist again, she spoke loud and clear - she made her anger known and took back control from her IT. 

 

Author: Kristin Harmel 

Started: September 21, 2024 

Finished: September 22, 2024 

Format: Print 

Genre: Historical Fiction 

 

Hope lives on Cape Cod and runs her family bakery. This was not the life she wanted but recently divorced, this is where she has landed. The plus side is that she gets to raise her daughter in the same areas as her grandmother's memory care facility.  Rose, Hope's grandmother, suffers from Alzheimer's and has sent Hope to Paris to find people she's never heard of. Hope realizes that her grandmother is not who she thought she was and she has a family she never knew existed. 

 

While this was a historical fiction that had elements of WWII, it was not centered there which was a nice change of pace. Rose is a sweet woman who did all she could to save her family and feels as if she has let them down. The interactions between Hope and her daughter make sense after a divorce where all the blame is placed on Hope. The storyline was not as jumpy as other historical fiction which was a nice change. A bonus was the pastry recipes sprinkled throughout the book. This was a wonderful book and I'm glad I finally read it. 

 

Author: Alice Hoffman 

Started: September 18, 2024 

Finished: September 18, 2024 

Format: Audio 

Genre: Historical Fiction 

 

Anne Frank lived in the Netherlands after her family escaped from the Nazi regime in Germany. As the Nazis invaded their new homeland, the Franks dealt with the restrictions placed on the Jewish population. Being unable to escape Anne's father, Otto, makes other plans to keep his family safe. When her sister, Margot, is called to the labor camps, plans are moved forward. When the Annex door closed behind the Franks in 1942, they stayed hidden in the Annex until they were arrested in 1944. 

 

This is the fictionalized account of Anne Frank's life shortly before the family was forced into hiding. We see Anne deal with the many restrictions that the Jewish people were forced to adhere to. We can also feel the panic build as her parents realize they will be unable to escape. This was a well-written story that provides interesting insight into Anne and how she may have felt as the Nazis closed in on them.