Yesterday's Dead by Pat Bourke

Thirteen-year old Meredith was used to working hard in her own family but wasn't ready to take on the household of Dr. Waterton where she had to put up with cranky help and unkind children. The only pleasant person was the cook, Mrs. Butters.  I absolutely loved Mrs. Butters...she would be the perfect person to have around if you were missing your mother as Meredith was.  Meredith had been yanked out of her household and had to work since her father had died in the war, and her mother needed extra income. 

Dr. Waterton was a kind person even with all the stress he was under with his children to raise since wife had died and the Spanish Flu to contend with.

Since Meredith had to make a good impression on the Watertons, she did her utmost to make everything work out as best as she could, especially when everyone began to fall ill from the Spanish flu.  Meredith is the main character, and you will love her, her strength, her level-headedness, and her sweetness.

Even though I normally do not read YA books, I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I always enjoy books set in the early 1900's and am always amazed how people cooked in stoves that were powered by coal.  I also enjoy the setup of the households of the wealthy in terms of how many servants they had and how they were treated and how the servants treated each other.  

This is a book for those who love historical fiction and have a love of the life Americans, Canadians, and Europeans lived before all our conveniences and medicines.  It actually is frightening in terms of illnesses with no antibiotics to cure anyone. Wonder if antibiotics would have had any effect in this strain of the flu?

Enjoy the book....I certainly did and benefited from the history lesson. I definitely enjoyed the interaction among the characters. This would make a great discussion in a classroom in terms of how today's youth would feel about the way the characters reacted to each other and how illnesses are treated differently today.   In fact, there would be many topics for interesting group discussions. 5/5

The Tower, The Zoo, and The Tortoise by Julia Stuart

Beefeaters, London, animals, and eccentric, endearing characters make up this book.  It is somewhat disconnected in its entirety concerning the numerous characters, but the British humor and the silliness kept me reading.

You will meet Balthazar Jones and his wife Hebe who live in the Tower of London and who are in charge of the Tower....Balthazar is a Beefeater who became the keeper of the animals that had been gifts to the Queen.  Hebe works in the London Underground Lost Property Office.  She and her friend, Valerie Jennings, document everything that has been left on the London Underground and hope that people will eventually stop to reclaim their lost item.  There are many strange items retrieved such as an urn with the remains of Clementine Perkins, thousands of pairs of false teeth, and an eyeball.

I really enjoyed Hebe the most.....I loved the strength she portrayed in dealing with the death of her son and her husband's lack of conversation about their son or just about anything.  I also enjoyed the Reverend who pined for Ruby Dore and lived with rats that nibbled at his cassocks and the church kneelers and who secretly wrote erotic novels. 

The most action takes place at the London Underground lost property office....even love. 

There are many unique characters that will make you laugh out loud in this whimsical book.  Oh, and we can't forget Mrs. Cook the 100-year-old tortoise who had a history of her own. 

Be ready for a confusing but delightful ride through the lives of the characters who all have some heartache and/or secret.  Don't give up because of the way the book begins.....I almost did, and it would have been a mistake.  I enjoyed the book because of its history lesson and overall different theme. 4/5

Michael's Reward by Mario Bernheim

EXCEPTIONAL doesn’t even closely describe MICHAEL’S REWARD. In this
thought-provoking, memorable book we meet Michael Whiley, God, and Lucifer.

Michael has every material possession possible – a beautiful home, a boat, a lucrative job where he makes millions with bonuses every year, and a wonderful family. Can his faith continue if he loses all this opulence?

God thinks so, and He does not doubt Michael’s loss of faith if all his worldly possessions disappear.

Lucifer has a different opinion from God, but God gives him the go ahead to test Michael full force to see what will happen to Michael if his world falls apart. Lucifer causes one horrible incident after another in Michael's life, and he also was lucky to have someone to “work over” to begin his job with Michael. His name was Charles. Charles, Michael’s co-worker, was the target Lucifer used to get one part and the major part of his plan into action. Charles was going to complete a transaction without Michael’s consent or knowledge….perfect for Lucifer….just what he wanted. Charles carries out his devious plan that Lucifer planted in his thoughts, and Charles thinks nothing of the havoc he knows may well transpire, but the more money he can get, the better for him, and he doesn't care.

These three main characters make the book suspenseful, thoughtful, and will make the reader re-think his beliefs and what one's life really should be. As you follow Lucifer through his plan, you will realize that the saying: "Money is the root of all evil" is definitely accurate.

As one catastrophe after another befall Michael, you will live/read in suspense as you wait to see what happens next.

The author addresses faith, anguish, unbelievable nightmares, and questioning of what could someone have done to deserve these happenings. It is a book that will make you question your life's choices. The book also discusses Lucifer and his entry into our lives to make them miserable. It allows you to see that he tests your faith and makes you question.

MICHAEL'S REWARD made me wonder about life after death and why God really does make things happen. Is it because the person this happened to did something wrong or was it because that was just the way it was to be to make something better? It also had me wondering and worrying if something was going to happen to me and why I received this book to review. Did I need this book because something was going to happen or did I receive the book so I would be able to help someone else? It was frightening and difficult to put down because of the pondering.

I do have to say some of the things that occurred were a little "out there," but most could be things that actually do happen and make you re-think your blessings and re-evaluate what is important and what you truly do need. It will also make you think about your friends and how most people only are concerned about their own welfare once you aren't in their league.

This quote definitely sums up the book’s premise: “Life is not about what we have, but who we are. And who we are can be tangibly measured by how we treat others.” Page 197.

You MUST READ this book no matter what your faith is. It will definitely make you contemplate. As you read it, you will question and you will also be more aware of your surroundings and those that are sharing your space no matter where you are. It will definitely change your thinking about how you are living your life. 5/5

Losing Clementine by Ashley Ream

Is it worth dying?  Did Clementine really want to kill herself?  Should she end her life?

Clementine thought she should, but she had a few things to complete first...things like find a home for her cat and find her long-lost father who left the family when she was a child.   Her first step was traveling to Mexico to acquire drugs that would do the job.  Upon her return from Mexico, she continues with the remainder of her plan that definitely includes some bizarre occurrences.   

Clementine was determined to get things in order so no one would have to deal with the mess she left.   There are a lot of surprises during these 30 days of counting down and many confusing sections.

Clementine is an unusual character with several levels of personality.  She is quite likable, and her character will also make you reflect about what makes people tick.  

You will follow her plan as she goes about her last days of final preparation.  There are actually some funny parts that will make you laugh out loud along with a few good recipes.

It is a little difficult to write a review for this book.  The plot consisted mainly of the day-by-day routine of Clementine as she counted down the time until her demise....each chapter was labeled with the day count.  

The chapters are very descriptive in terms of scenes and character description. The vivid detail allows you to feel as though you are present and sharing her feelings and emotions that are boiling up inside her.  The ending is somewhat redeeming and gives you faith in mankind.  What I mean by that is we humans do care about each other and do help each other in a crisis.

But…..despite all the detailed description and the amazing writing, the book became tedious and confusing for me in terms of following the plot.  Therefore, my rating will be a 3.5/5

Playing the Genetic Lottery by Terri Morgan

Is it going to happen to me, just like my parents?  Will I turn into a schizophrenic?  Will my children? That is what Ava and Jon had to worry about their entire childhood.  They couldn't live a normal childhood because of their parents' illness.

The author did a great job explaining the disease and made the scenes in the book real.  Learning how awful this disease is and how it ruins families and robs children of their childhood and adults of their lives was enlightening and frightening.

You will fall in love with Ava, the narrator, who changes her name to Caitlin when she turns fifteen.  She is such a strong character and tries to act normal when she knows nothing is normal at home.  Her brother Jon was her protector and confidant throughout their childhood trauma.  Things didn't turn out the way they wanted it to for them as the years passed, though.  Jon was also a very strong character and made you wonder how children do make it through when their parents are ill.  Thank goodness for Ava and Jon that their grandparents were there for them.

The book gives a lot of information about the devastating disease and is put in laymen's terms through the story told by Ava/Caitlin.  You will feel Ava's frustrations dealing with their unsettled, bizarre childhood and sympathize with her and her brother even though Ava was left alone after awhile to deal with it all. 

It isn’t a gripping story with an outstanding plot but more of a saga of the Swarthout family.  The grandparents were wonderful.  It did get a little tiresome going on and on, and I was actually glad when it came to the last pages.  It seemed a little too long, but it was a very well-written book with a lot of information about mental diseases.   I enjoyed the book for the most part. 

3.5/5 because of the length….it could have been shorter and not include as much dialogue.

Dead is the New Black by Christine DeMaio-Rice

A garment show in a week, late hours, working on the weekends, and then a dead body shows up.  Oh no…..a very unwelcome setback.

Jeremy was the one who was standing over Gracie when Laura walked into the office that Sunday morning.   Could he have killed her or just found her on the floor with a scarf wrapped around her neck?  Hmmmmm.....with material fragments on his hands and clothes, and his being the only one in the office, who else could they suspect? No one for now, but Laura couldn't believe Jeremy killed Gracie, and since Laura was in love with him she tried to find out who really did strangle Gracie.  

Regardless, the police arrested Jeremy, and their investigation continued while he was in jail.  Laura also was conducting her own investigation, but it wasn't going very well for her.  She kept trying to figure out who besides Jeremy would have a reason to kill Gracie.  Perhaps Carmella killed him and not Jeremy for no other motive than a good old-fashioned garment district reason? Or how about her husband who found out about her affair.  Or more likely what about Mario who may have done it out of sheer jealousy.  And....there definitely was a lot of jealousy and competition in the office and throughout the entire garment industry from what I could see.  

The book allows a glimpse into what goes into the preparation for a garment show and the mindset of the garment industry’s men and women.  If you are a "fashionista" you will definitely enjoy this book. The clothes sound marvelous.  There are also funny scenes...one particular one was when Laura and her sister were trying to get into an upscale restaurant without reservations. 

Miss Demaio-Rice is a talented story teller.  She will make you laugh, have you sympathizing with the characters, make you wonder  about some of them and what they are thinking, make you believe that you have the mystery solved, and then she throws something in to get you off track. 

She will definitely make you want to be part of the craziness and fun going on in her book and make you want to be friends with all of characters or at least work with them. 

The book was first-rate in terms of humor, characters, and plot.   DEAD IS THE NEW BLACK is a witty, entertaining book you won't want to miss.  5/5

The Confession by Charles Todd

Furnham was a fishing town with very unfriendly residents that could spot an unfriendly outsider immediately when he walked into town.  Ian Rutledge was the stranger that screamed police, and the residents screamed nothing but coldness and silence.  What could they be hiding, and why would they deny that they knew anything about the dead man in the photo when he had relatives in the town and had lived there nearby as a child?  The residents of Furnham were an odd lot with loyalty to each other and the entire town.

Rutledge definitely felt all the answers to the murdered man were in this small fishing town, but getting the information was going to prove to be difficult.  He returned time after time much to the anger of the town’s residents, but the clues were there....they just had to be “dug” out.  Another thing to consider too.....was the current investigation connected to past people and past disappearances and murders?  Is that why the town was so closed mouthed?

Don’t miss out on this one ……Ian was on another great investigation in this Todd mystery and, of course, Hamish was there as well.  The setting, the twists and turns of the storyline, the subplots, and the fascinating, well-described characters will again keep you involved and turning the pages.  

I always look forward to an Ian Rutledge mystery....you get completely involved with the story and characters.  5/5