May’s Mutterings: Rants and Ramblings
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Book review: Spindle by W.R. Gingell
Spindle by W.R. Gingell My rating: 4 of 5 stars This book is a re-telling of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale but to say that is like saying that Shake Shack is just another burger joint. This re-telling of Sleeping Beauty is original, intricate and complex. The magic (or, more accurately, the magics) are complicated…
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Summer trip 2019: Hong Kong & Tokyo
Well, more accurately, the 2nd summer trip, this time to Hong Kong and Tokyo—a quick trip as we were gone just over a week. Jade has been in Hong Kong this summer on an internship where she is developing a curriculum to teach disadvantaged Hong Kong kids how to code. (As a math/computer science social…
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Book review: Masque by W.R. Gingell
Masque by W.R. Gingell My rating: 4 of 5 stars To say that this book is the retelling of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale does the author an injustice. So, yes, “Masque” is a retelling of the traditional fairy tale, but it is one of the most fun and original retellings I’ve ever…
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Book review: Madame Fourcade’s Secret War by Lynne Olson
Madame Fourcade’s Secret War: The Daring Young Woman Who Led France’s Largest Spy Network Against Hitler by Lynne Olson My rating: 4 of 5 stars Marie-Madeleine Fourcade was the the leader of a intelligence gathering group, the Alliance, in France during World War II that was instrumental in providing the Allies with key intelligence, including…
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Book review: Absolution by Murder by Peter Tremayne
Absolution by Murder by Peter Tremayne My rating: 3 of 5 stars Historical mysteries are a tricky balancing act. On one hand, the author should paint a realistic portrait of the period and needs to include the necessary details to describe the setting in which the mystery takes place. On the other hand, the author…
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Hawaii: July 2019 version
By now, there isn’t much more that I can say about this little bit of paradise than I haven’t already said. So let me just mention the highlights of this trip, which include the following: Continuing our 4th of July tradition of spending it with Dianne, John, Benjamin and Isabelle (this time in Honolulu) Getting…
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Book review: Lady in Waiting by Marie Tremayne
Lady in Waiting by Marie Tremayne My rating: 4 of 5 stars A rather unusual premise: the heroine is about to be forced into an unwanted marriage with a despicable man and, to avoid the wedding, she runs off to become a housemaid in a reclusive earl’s household in the country. Naturally, the “housemaid” and…
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Book review: Death by Dumpling by Vivien Chien
Death by Dumpling by Vivien Chien My rating: 3 of 5 stars This is a perfect beach read, especially if you are Asian-American. The main character, Lana Lee, grew up helping out with her parents’ restaurant. Life goes a bit sideways on her, and she’s returned to work there while sorting out her life, putting…
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Book review: The Good Lord Bird by James McBride
The Good Lord Bird by James McBride My rating: 4 of 5 stars I have to admit I was unenthusiastic about reading this book, as it was an assigned book for our son’s 11th grade English class. (Assigned reading is about as appealing to me now as it was when I was in high school.)…
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Book review: Don’t Label Me by Irshad Manji
Don’t Label Me: An Incredible Conversation for Divided Times by Irshad Manji My rating: 4 of 5 stars The premise for this book is interesting, to say the least. The author has a conversation with her dog, Lily, as a way to promote discussion about diversity of thought, tribes, and discord. As hokey as this…
Got any book recommendations?