The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried by Shaun David Hutchinson

This is a perfect example of having all the right ingredients but the mix failing to gel. Hutchinson, best-selling author of We Are The Ants, gives us the story of Dino, the gay son in a family of morticians who silently rebels against the expectation that he will join the business given his talent for applying make-up to corpses. As the novel begins, we learn that his former best friend July, with whom he had a falling-out a year before, has died of a brain aneurysm at age 17.  The night before the funeral, Dino decides to work on her make-up and is shocked when she comes back to life. It is mentioned frequently that she isn’t a zombie but non-dead.

As Dino and July struggle to understand the reason for her resurrection and the concurrent worldwide suspension of death, the story gets bogged down with gross-out descriptions of decomposition, their toxic friendship and caustic humor, Dino’s confusion about his relationship with Rafi, his transgender boyfriend, and July’s unpleasant personality and insensitive jokes about the LGBTQ community. Comments like “I don’t tell you how to gay; don’t tell me how to act” and “I mean, what’s the point of being gay if you’re not going to be in theater” make the friendship between them seem really implausible.

The plot is solid enough to keep the momentum going, but the underdeveloped characters and their inability to honestly communicate the reasons and responsibilities for the dissolution of their long-time friendship make it a frustrating read. More focus on the development of the relationship between Dino and Rafi and an acknowledgment that sometimes, when people grow and change, friendships fall apart might have made the story more compelling. Although some younger teens would appreciate the disgusting zombie humor, I wouldn’t buy this for our school library.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Simon Pulse through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Secrets of Paper and Ink by Lindsay Harrel

Sophia Barrett has returned to work as a women’s therapist 3 months after suffering a nervous breakdown on the 1-year anniversary of her fiancé’s death in a car accident. After walking out on her first patient (a victim of domestic abuse), she realizes she hasn’t healed. So, on a whim, she decides to travel from Arizona to Cornwall, England, the locale of the books by her favorite author, Robert Appleton, where she rents a cheap apartment above a bookstore in exchange for working there part-time. Ginny, the proprietor, is struggling to save the store after her husband abandons her. While shifting through boxes of old books, Sophie finds a journal with a story from the 19th century about star-crossed Emily Fairfax and her friend (and secret love) Edward Bryant. With the help of Ginny’s brother-in-law, sexy lit professor William, Sophie sets out to discover whether or not the story is true and why she feels so compelled to get answers. Will any of these three women who have suffered for love find redemption?

Set in beautiful Cornwall and featuring a cast of well-drawn female characters, The Secrets of Paper and Ink is a tribute to the power of the written word and its ability to heal the human spirit. There is a faith-based undertone which might be off-putting to some readers, but it doesn’t overwhelm the story. This book will appeal to fans of Beatriz Williams, Susan Meissner, and other authors who write parallel storylines from the past and present in which a mysterious artifact drives the action. Highly-recommended.



I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

New Profile Picture

I've just updated my profile photo to an antique image better reflecting my passions for travel and books. Here is the citation information for it.

BOOKMOBILE, 1860. - A 'perambulating' library sponsored by the Warrington Mechanics Instition, Lancashire, England. Wood engraving, English, 1860.

CREDIT: The Granger Collection / Universal Images Group

The Secret of Dinswood by Ellen Alexander

I got 61% through this book and just couldn’t finish it. I don’t like giving bad reviews, but I’m compelled to since I was given this book in exchange for an honest review. There were so many things wrong, not the least of which was a storyline that wasn’t the slightest bit original or compelling, (It borrowed heavily from Harry Potter…without the magic…and Nancy Drew.) Generally, I begin my reviews with a brief synopsis, but I’m not going to bother in this case.

First and foremost, it was way too long, not because it was packed with action, adventure and intrigue, but because it was descriptive to an extreme. There was one scene where the author spent one long paragraph describing every food on the buffet table. There was also some strange compulsion to describe almost every outfit the female characters wore (including teachers). All of this verbiage bogged down what little story there was. Where was the editor? 

Second, it was very hard to pin down time and place. Based on the prologue about a pirate who decides to quit the business, make up an aristocratic title (not likely given the insularity of the British peerage), marry well and build a castle in a new country as a family home, it would make sense that it would be somewhere in Europe since there was no America in Tudor times. However, much of the dialogue and description was infused with American colloquialisms and read more like the 1950s or 60s than modern-day teens. Also, the school didn’t even have internet access or athletics, but mentioned that their students were formerly soccer and basketball players and gymnasts. What parent is going to spend an exorbitant amount of money to send their child to a school lacking the basics of a well-rounded education? Of course, most named characters were either children of Board members or scholarship students.

I could go on and on given all the notes I made while working my way to about page 250 (of over the 400), but I’ll wrap this review up by saying that, although marketed as a YA book, it would be more appropriate for ages 9-12. However, as a school librarian, I don’t imagine that my students would stick with it to the end anymore than I could. I question whether this series will stand a chance given this first installment. 

After posting this review, I checked out the publisher. They call themselves a hybrid publisher meaning the author pays a portion of the production costs. This explains how this book even made it to the release stage. It's essentially self-published.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from BHC Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Watch Us Rise by Renee Watson

Watch Us Rise is a feminist manifesto for today’s young adults. It’s the story of Jasmine and Chelsea, two high school juniors in New York City who are fed up with the micro-aggressions in their school and decide to combat them by establishing a Women’s Rights Club. Amsterdam Heights High School claims to espouse and model social justice and equity, but when reactions to their Write Like a Girl blog “incite discord,” the club is disbanded. Rather than accept the Principal’s decision, the young “womyn” take their peaceful protests to the neighborhood and the local newspaper. Will their persistence pay off? 

This story is a testament to the power of positive modeling. Both Jasmine and Chelsea’s parents are liberal and civic-minded and have taught and encouraged their daughters to use their art as activism. In fact, Jasmine’s father, who is dying of cancer, challenges Jasmine, Chelsea and their friends Isaac and Nadine (whom he calls artivists) to “Go out and find some inspiration. Create some art in response to what you see.” Their poems, writings, songs, and drawings, combined with the narrative alternating between Jasmine and Chelsea, create an intersectional kaleidoscope of their reactions to the racism, fat-shaming, misogyny, discrimination and sexism they face daily.

This book is groundbreaking and a much-needed portrayal of the struggles today’s young women continue to face. It sends a powerful message that words and actions can have positive impact and that change can begin with a single action. This is an essential purchase for any library serving teens and should be required reading as a springboard for open, honest dialogue.



I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bloomsbury through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Marry Me by Heidi Wessman Kneale

Marry Me, A Candy Hearts Romance, is part historical fiction and part magical realism. Millie Moore is a New York City debutante in 1905 who is practically “on the shelf” at the ripe old age of 21. As such, and with a bit of greasy black magic, smarmy and socially unacceptable Guy Elliott is trying to court her.  Standing in his way is Raymond Wilson, a handsome young man from a good family who has a bad stutter. His way to communicate is to cast a spell so that candy hearts speak messages for him. As Millie struggles to find her voice, defy her marriage-minded mama, and choose the better man, she must contemplate if a “bad marriage is better than no marriage at all.”

This quirky short story is charming (in both the literal and magical sense), but its brevity results in under-developed characters and a rushed denouement. It’s also a bit disconcerting that so many people seem to have magical powers on display with no one questioning the spells. Despite all, it’s a fun, quick read.


I received a complimentary copy of this book from The Wild Rose Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Dreaming of Tuscany by T.A. Williams

After a horrific accident on the Siena, Italy set of a movie on which she’s serving as a consultant, historian Bee Kingdom wakes from a coma in the hospital with a shaved head and some serious injuries. At the request of the production company, she and the film’s star, Mimi Robertson, who was also slightly injured, are sent to recoup in an isolated Tuscan villa. Over the course of a summer, Bee falls in love: with the countryside and its historic sites, a lovely black Labrador named Romeo, the friendly employees and neighbors on the estate, and an emotionally damaged estate manager named Luke. When the summer and her recuperation come to an end and she’s offered a new job far away, will she choose her career or the chance for love?

Williams has written a lovely, light romantic novel that should leave all of his readers “Dreaming of Tuscany.” His luscious descriptions of Italy, including its rich history, delicious food, and warm people paint a vivid picture of paradise. There’s nothing emotionally wrenching or earth-shattering about the book; just a fun story that leaves readers ready to book a trip to Italy themselves. Bella Italia!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Canelo through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Sorry, Not Sorry by Sophie Ranald

Charlotte is a 20-something good girl who loves her job, hasn’t had a boyfriend or a “shag” in over a year, and finds herself alone after her best friend and fiancé move to the London suburbs prior to their wedding. Her new roommates include the tall, gorgeous Tansy and reclusive, grumpy Adam. Knowing she needs to get out of a rut, she Googles “How to find love, sex and happiness,”stumbles across an old Podcast called ‘Sorry, Not Sorry” and begins to follow the advice on how to be a bad girl, leading to all sorts of adventures and complications. Will she end up finding her own happily-ever-after or find herself still “single at seventy-two?”

This latest book from best-selling author Sophie Ranald is a fun beach read that relies on well-worn literary devices such as the mean girl, love triangles, main character low self-esteem (especially in comparison to the modelesque Tansy), and more. The plot is relatively predictable with some minor twists and subplots, but foreshadowing makes it pretty easy to predict who she’ll end up with in the end. There are somewhat graphic sex scenes which might be off-putting to some readers.

Despite the somewhat slow start, over-abundance of British slang, and pop culture references that will quickly date the book (“I typed ‘US presidential erection’ instead of ‘election’ in the report I was compiling for Piers, noticing just before I sent it to him. The idea of Trump’s todger was sufficiently off-putting to drive all thoughts of sex from my mind”), it will appeal to fans of Sophie Kinsella and Jill Mansell.


I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bookouture through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.