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May begins with “Maame” by Jessica George. This is a great book, but I did struggle with the title. One of my all-time favorite movies is 1958’s “Auntie Mame” with Rosalind Russell (not Lucille Ball’s 1974 version). So I initially tried to pronounce it as Mame, but knew that wasn’t correct. Then I tried pronouncing it as Mom-ee. But that made me think of a hilarious YouTube video of Steve Harvey hosting “Family Feud.” I figured that probably wasn’t correct either. (But if you need a laugh, find that video on YouTube.) The correct pronunciation of the title is Mom-may. It is a Ghanan word meaning woman. In the book it is the pet name of Maddie (Madeline). While it is a term of endearment, it also becomes a weight as she is saddled with more and more responsibility in her family. Relationship-heavy novels are iffy for me, as they often become maudlin and the characters just begin to annoy me. However, Jessica George navigates family and friend relationships beautifully in this book. I believe any reader who has other people in their life will appreciate the realism that it offers and will probably relate to Maddie’s story at some level and perhaps on multiple levels.
Next, is Harlan Coben’s newest novel, “I Will Find You.” As with all of Coben’s novels, I couldn’t put it down, and finished it in about 24-hours. Despite his innocence, David Burrows has spent five years of a life sentence for murdering his 3-year-old son. When he learns that his son is still alive, he will do anything to find him.
That book was followed by “The Eighth Sister” by Robert Dugoni. I enjoy a good story of espionage. As I get older, I find that I also appreciate an older protagonist. Having left the CIA 40 years earlier, Charles Jenkins was surprised to be reactivated for a case that seemed handmade for him. Perhaps it was ... Jenkins left the Agency because he felt that it couldn’t be trusted. Maybe he forgot that during the following decades. It doesn’t take long for him to realize his error. While searching for someone known as The Eighth Sister, who is giving up the names of a group of counterintelligence agents called The Seven Sisters, Jenkins soon finds himself on the wrong side of Putin’s FSB - the post cold-war successor to the KGB - with no support from the CIA. After a harrowing escape from Russia, Charles finds that he is now suspected of treason - a charge for which no CIA agent has ever been found not-guilty. This book is the first in a series, and I look forward to reading the next books: “The Last Agent” and “The Silent Sisters.”
Finally, I read “Consumed” by J.R. Ward. In recommending this book to me, my daughter said she enjoyed it because it was interesting to read a story involving firefighters and be exposed to their lingo, etc. After suffering a devastating injury during a fire, Anne Ashburn’s career as a firefighter comes to an end. But firefighting is in her blood, so she becomes an arson investigator. When Anne uncovers connections between the fire that changed her life and similar fires, she starts down a menacing path that once again puts her in harm’s way. This is a story full of intrigue, betrayal, forgiveness, friends, and family.
Happy Reading!
Next, is Harlan Coben’s newest novel, “I Will Find You.” As with all of Coben’s novels, I couldn’t put it down, and finished it in about 24-hours. Despite his innocence, David Burrows has spent five years of a life sentence for murdering his 3-year-old son. When he learns that his son is still alive, he will do anything to find him.
That book was followed by “The Eighth Sister” by Robert Dugoni. I enjoy a good story of espionage. As I get older, I find that I also appreciate an older protagonist. Having left the CIA 40 years earlier, Charles Jenkins was surprised to be reactivated for a case that seemed handmade for him. Perhaps it was ... Jenkins left the Agency because he felt that it couldn’t be trusted. Maybe he forgot that during the following decades. It doesn’t take long for him to realize his error. While searching for someone known as The Eighth Sister, who is giving up the names of a group of counterintelligence agents called The Seven Sisters, Jenkins soon finds himself on the wrong side of Putin’s FSB - the post cold-war successor to the KGB - with no support from the CIA. After a harrowing escape from Russia, Charles finds that he is now suspected of treason - a charge for which no CIA agent has ever been found not-guilty. This book is the first in a series, and I look forward to reading the next books: “The Last Agent” and “The Silent Sisters.”
Finally, I read “Consumed” by J.R. Ward. In recommending this book to me, my daughter said she enjoyed it because it was interesting to read a story involving firefighters and be exposed to their lingo, etc. After suffering a devastating injury during a fire, Anne Ashburn’s career as a firefighter comes to an end. But firefighting is in her blood, so she becomes an arson investigator. When Anne uncovers connections between the fire that changed her life and similar fires, she starts down a menacing path that once again puts her in harm’s way. This is a story full of intrigue, betrayal, forgiveness, friends, and family.
Happy Reading!
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