The subtitle of this book says it all, “True Stories of the Magic of Reading”. James Patterson and Matt Eversmann’s The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians allows booksellers and librarians to share their passion for books and reading. Each short chapter is a passionate account by someone who found their niche in a library or bookstore, found their tribe, and now talk about books with other book lovers. Readers might find a book or two to read, but I was just happy to find other book lovers. There are a few people I know in the book, P.J. Gardiner, the Collection Development Librarian ..read more

I took three pages of notes while reading Doris Kearns Goodwin’s An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s. Why? I’m not writing a book report, and this is the only review I’m writing. But, the story of the 1960s, as seen by Dick and Doris Kearns Goodwin is fascinating, and I just felt as if I needed the notes. The historians were married for forty-two years. But, their experiences in their twenties and thirties, before they even met, set the map for the rest of their lives. To tell the story of their careers, particularly Dick’s, the couple opened three hundred boxes of lette ..read more

The 2024 Lefty Awards were presented this past weekend at Left Coast Crime, Seattle Shakedown. Congratulations to the winners. Lefty for Best Humorous Mystery Novel Cheap Trills by Wendalll Thomas Lefty for Best Historical Mystery Novel (Bill Gottfried Memorial, covering events before 1970) Evergreen by Naomi Hirahara Lefty for Best Debut Mystery Novel Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon Lefty for Best Mystery Novel Hide by Tracy Clark ..read more

I’ve been visiting my Mom for a almost a week. Yesterday, we went to a surprise party for my late husband’s aunt. She turned 95, and she’s terrific. Anyways, I haven’t had reading time. I have had a lot of family time, which was wonderful. I won’t have another book review until Tuesday. In the meantime, I hope you have some reading or family time ..read more

I’m sure you recognize that last name. Yes, Scott Tipple is Kevin Tipple’s son, but he’s a reader and reviewer in his own right. Scott’s preferences are science fiction and graphic novels, but he does read some crime fiction, and he agreed to review an occasional crime novel for us. While, I’m visiting my Mom, how about a little nepotism here? Thanks, Scott, for the review of All Systems Red. All Systems Red by Martha Wells is the first novella in a series of novellas and at least one book that is part of The Murderbot Diaries. It stars as a security unit that is part robot and part human tha ..read more

I drove up to Mom’s on Tuesday, and I’m visiting for the week. My sister, Christie, came for the day yesterday, and we went to a cousin’s to play pinochle in the afternoon, then to dinner. We’re not spending the whole day away today, but I will be off and on during the day since I’m with Mom. Because I’m visiting, I’m not reading much, but I have started The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians by James Patterson and Matt Eversmann. It really is a love letter to those who work with books. I’ve only read the beginning, and I already cried over the first chapter, a piece by a passionate y ..read more

What do you say about a novel that combines horror, mystery, Southern charm, and a coming-of-age story? Lindy Ryan’s Bless Your Heart is about four strong women in the Evans family who run a funeral parlor in their Southeast Texas hometown. But, they’re caretakers who protect the town against the Strigoi, defined by Ducey Evans, the family matriarch, as ghouls, the monsters who inspired every story about horrible creatures. What can I say? Those Strigoi are violent creatures who slaughter their victims in gruesome, gory ways. If you don’t want to read those passages, skip the book. By 1999, t ..read more

If you like historical mysteries, especially those inspired by real people, check out Katie Tietjen’s solid debut, Death in the Details. Without spoilers, I can say it’s inspired by the real-life mother of forensic science, Frances Glessner Lee. Tietjen’s amateur sleuth, Maple Bishop, is loosely based on Lee and her “Nutshell studies of unexplained deaths”. In 1946, Maple Bishop is a war widow, penniless and stuck in a small Vermont town where her husband was the town doctor before he enlisted. Although she’s a lawyer, no one will hire a female, so she turns to her hobby hoping to make enough ..read more

This is one of the few police procedurals that I’ve read that is so much better than the publisher’s description. Kerri Hakoda’s Cold to the Touch is an outstanding procedural in which all the departments work well together, and the supervisor is not a jerk. Set in Anchorage, Alaska, it’s a descriptive, fast-paced story with a likable protagonist. Fans of police procedurals will want to pick up this one. The first body was discovered twelve days before Christmas. Anchorage homicide detective DeHavilland Beans was on call. He recognized the victim, Jolene Nilsson, a barista at Snow Bunny Baris ..read more

Today, I’d like to welcome author Terrie Farley Moran to Lesa’s Book Critiques. You might recognize her name in partnership with Jessica Fletcher’s for the Murder, She Wrote mysteries. But, Terrie will tell you some of that herself as she answers my questions. If you have additional questions, check out Terrie’s website at https://terriefarleymoran.com/. Thank you, Terrie, for taking the time to answer my questions. Terrie, would you introduce yourself to readers, tell us what you did before you were a writer, and what you wrote before you joined forces with Jessica Fletcher? Hi Everyone, I h ..read more