Books I read in May 2019

The Missing Pieces of Sophie McCarthy by B. M. Carroll  This book was recommended by Liane Moriarity and I have enjoyed so many of her books. This one was not as good as the Liane Moriarity books, but I did enjoy it a bit.
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn (library) Great fictional book based on the true story of women spies during WWI and spanning into WWII. The author has a bibliography at the end of the book of more non-fiction and fiction about this period of history and these women. Highly recommend.
The American Agent by Jacqueline Winspear (library) A Maisie Dobbs book, this one takes place during the London Blitz and Maisie must solve the mysterious death of an American War Correspondent.  Very good book and I really care about these characters. Can't wait for the next one.
The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See (library) a fascinating part of the history of Korea that I had never thought of before reading this book. These women divers were amazing and their history and stories are fascinating. Lisa See of course creates a fictional story, but it is based on real life and real history. In her acknowledgements at the end of the book are more references for stories about these women.
The Fortune Cookie Chronicles by Jennifer 8 Lee Very entertaining book about Chinese Food and the Americanization of Chinese food Highly recommend.
Hangman by Jack Heath (library) dysfunctional detective I quite enjoyed.
The Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson (library) I read a lot of dysfunctional southern family fiction and this one is set in present day, which is refreshing (many seem to be 1950's-1970's) And I enjoyed the modern elements
The Huntress by Kate Quinn (library) Really good WWII fiction. I especially liked the parts about the "night witches"
White Nights by Ann Cleeves (library) I am reading all of Ann Cleeves Shetland books and I liked this one (the whole idea of white nights fascinates me)
In The Unlikely Event by Judy Bloom (audiobook) how multiple plane crashes affect the citizens of Elizabeth, NJ in the 1950's. Very "father knows best", "leave it to beaver" type stories in that the period details are spot on.

Postcards 2019: Big Bend, TX

So many fabulous National Parks in the USA and I still need to visit more of them! Big Bend is at the top of the list. Could this be the year that I visit Big Bend??

Postcards 2019: Napoli

2019, this year I am going to highlight postcards from places that I have never visited!! I know many of you think that I have traveled all over the world and I have been to many places, but there are places here in the USA and all over the world that are still on my bucket list. So this year, I will be sharing postcards from places that I have not visited yet!  I have been to Italy, but I have never been to Napoli (Naples)  So glamorous and high on my bucket list. 

Postcards 2019: Morocco

The theme of my postcard blog this year is places that I have never been, but I am lucky to have friends who send me postcards from their travels to far flung places like Morocco! 

Postcards 2019: Buenos Aires

2019, this year I am going to highlight postcards from places that I have never visited!! I know many of you think that I have traveled all over the world and I have been to many places, but there are places here in the USA and all over the world that are still on my bucket list. So this year, I will be sharing postcards from places that I have not visited yet! 

Buenos Aires

Books I read in April 2019

Phantom Prey by John Sandford (audiobook) Listened to on a road trip to Oregon, a book that I have enjoyed in the past.
Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher (library) a fun little book written as a series of letters. So it was gimmicky, but I enjoyed it.
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (library) I found this very enjoyable. It read very easily. And I love Russian stuff, so I really enjoyed the setting and time period.
You by Caroline Kepnes (library) a story about a stalker....very good and it is a series on Netflix now too. So you can read it and immediately see it on screen. (I think they did a great job of translating the book to film).
Red Bones by Ann Cleeves (library) another book to video, I have been watching the British TV show, Shetland, and I found it that it was based on books by Ann Cleeves, so now I am reading the books too!
America The Farewell Tour by Chris Hedges (library) extremely depressing. It appears that we are in a handbasket headed you know where....
Tear It Down by Nicholas Petrie (library) loved it....great Jack Reacher type hero, this time set in Memphis, TN
Educated by Tara Westover (library) more cult/end of days survivalistm type stuff...I am kind of over it, so did not enjoy it as much as I might if I came at it from another perspective.
The UnThinkable: Who survives when disaster strikes by Amanda Ripley  Very interesting, especially for me, who is trained to survive an airplane crash and how much we do not tell passengers....
O Pioneers! by Willa Cather (audiobook) I quite enjoyed this on audiotape in the car while driving around. I had never read it before.
I, Richard by Elizabeth George short stories by Elizabeth George, very good, highly recommend.
We Were The Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter (library) a Holocaust story about how a Polish family survived WWII. Very good and I highly recommend.
This One is Mine by Maria Semple  I am a little over this author, I do not find her heroines that sympathetic, they start to annoy me and then I wonder why I am reading about these spoiled whiners.
Citizen Keane by Adam Parrfrey and Cletus Nelson (audiobook) The Story of the "Big Eye" paintings.  I had read this before and now listened to it again in the car. I like to "reread" books on audio, because I do not have to concentrate as much and can pay more attention to my driving since I already know the story.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris (library) I was not sure if I could handle another Holocaust story so soon after reading "We Were The Lucky Ones" but this was recommended by so many folks and it is a bit shorter (a thinner book for sure) and it was very good and I recommend it also. Another survivor story.
Nine Pints by Rose George (library) Non-fiction about Blood. History of blood, the history of typing it and transfusing it and donating it....I really enjoyed it, learned a lot.
Maid by Stephanie Land (library) Very good, about a single mother struggling to pull herself up out of poverty by working as a maid. (set in the PNW for you guys out here!) It is a memoir, so based on her true story.
Say You're Sorry by Michael Robotham  (library)
Blackout: Remembering the Things I Drank to Forget by Sarah Hepola (audiobook) One woman's story of her road to alcoholism. Very good