SuzeParker
Johnson County Library
SuzeParker's Completed Shelf
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The Boy in the Striped PajamasThe Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Audiobook CD[a Fable]
by Boyne, JohnAudiobook CD - 2006 | Library ed.Audiobook CD, 2006. Library ed.
SuzeParker's rating:
Added Sep 13, 2021
Normal PeopleNormal People, Downloadable AudiobookA Novel
by Rooney, SallyDownloadable Audiobook - 2019Downloadable Audiobook, 2019
All copies in use
Holds: 35 on 36 copies
Holds: 35 on 36 copies
Added Jan 24, 2021
Nine Perfect StrangersNine Perfect Strangers, Audiobook CD
by Moriarty, LianeAudiobook CD - 2018Audiobook CD, 2018
Added Nov 17, 2020
A House in the SkyA House in the Sky, Audiobook CD[a Memoir]
by Lindhout, AmandaAudiobook CD - 2013Audiobook CD, 2013
SuzeParker's rating:
Added Nov 17, 2020
Lost HillsLost Hills, Audiobook CD
by Goldberg, LeeAudiobook CD - 2019 | Unabridged.Audiobook CD, 2019. Unabridged.
Added Jul 13, 2020
Comment:
Not your run-of-the-mill police procedural. For starters, the killer is identified fairly early in the story. Eve and the sheriff's department lads know they have their man. They just can't prove it. The fun comes in being a bit in Eve's head as she puts the pieces together. A good, creative thinker, our Eve.
Eve's mom is a comical depiction of the misguided, starstruck Hollywood never-was. She and the other characters are adequately defined, if perhaps a bit cliche (detectives and donuts, anyone?). My guess is that this cast will get more fleshed out in future books in the series.
And, for once, our protagonist doesn't have an angsty, it's-dysfunctional-but-it-works-for-us love interest. Eve's just a gal doing her job. Refreshing. There are a couple of solid twists at the end, too.
I'm already looking forward to the next installment in the Eve series, which I'll be grabbing as soon as it hits the shelves.Not your run-of-the-mill police procedural. For starters, the killer is identified fairly early in the story. Eve and the sheriff's department lads know they have their man. They just can't prove it. The fun comes in being a bit in Eve's head as she…
The Perfect CoupleThe Perfect Couple, Audiobook CDA Novel
by Hilderbrand, ElinAudiobook CD - 2018 | Unabridged.Audiobook CD, 2018. Unabridged.
Added Jul 13, 2020
White Rose Black ForestWhite Rose Black Forest, Book
by Dempsey, EoinBook - 2018 | First edition.Book, 2018. First edition.
Added May 26, 2020
We Never Asked for WingsWe Never Asked for Wings, BookA Novel
by Diffenbaugh, VanessaBook - 2015 | First edition.Book, 2015. First edition.
Added Mar 29, 2020
Comment:
While We Never Asked for Wings deals with some heavy issues - including teen pregnancy, immigration/undocumented aliens, child abandonment and bullying - it still felt a little superficial and sugar-coated. Letty has some problems learning to mother her kids, yes - but nothing like it likely would be for most parents who had handed off their child-rearing responsibilities to someone else for more than a decade. After a limited number of fits and starts, she falls into the role surprisingly easily. largely because Letty's storybook teenage son, Alex, is unnaturally thoughtful, and mature.
Considering Letty's poverty, background and lack of education and the complex topics addressed, this could have been a deeply thought-provoking and affecting book. It isn't, but it is a sweet and hopeful story with some strong moments.While We Never Asked for Wings deals with some heavy issues - including teen pregnancy, immigration/undocumented aliens, child abandonment and bullying - it still felt a little superficial and sugar-coated. Letty has some problems learning to mother…
We Never Asked for WingsWe Never Asked for Wings, Audiobook CDA Novel
by Diffenbaugh, VanessaAudiobook CD - 2015 | Unabridged.Audiobook CD, 2015. Unabridged.
SuzeParker's rating:
Added Mar 29, 2020
Girls Burn BrighterGirls Burn Brighter, Book
by Rao, ShobhaBook - 2018 | First edition.Book, 2018. First edition.
SuzeParker's rating:
Added Mar 29, 2020
Cilka's JourneyCilka's Journey, BookA Novel
by Morris, HeatherBook - 2019 | First U.S. edition.Book, 2019. First U.S. edition.
SuzeParker's rating:
Added Mar 09, 2020
Comment:
I'm so glad Heather Morris told Cilka's story. Because Cilka passed away before Morris began her conversations with Lale Sokolov, Morris had to fill in a lot of blanks with her own imaginings. But the spirit of the book is no less powerful.
That Cilka, who was a teenager when forced into sex slavery at Auschwitz-Birkenau, should be sentenced to hard labor in Siberia for "sleeping with the enemy" - as though she willingly chose that lot to gain a more-privileged concentration camp life- is to fail miserably to understand victimization and abuse. Cilka (and many others whose stories will never be known) made tragic decisions she never should have been in a position to have to make simply because, above all, she wanted to stay alive.
Cilka's Journey serves as a stark reminder that we must never forget the degradation and horrors perpetrated by brutal regimes. Another message here is the power of hope. Cilka somehow held onto hope through horrific circumstances where the end point was either unknown or years distant. Few people would have had the mental and emotional strength to endure as she did. These are the factors that imbue her story with such worth.
Kudos to Morris for once again telling a heartbreaking and powerful story. It deserved to be told, and Morris tells it well.I'm so glad Heather Morris told Cilka's story. Because Cilka passed away before Morris began her conversations with Lale Sokolov, Morris had to fill in a lot of blanks with her own imaginings. But the spirit of the book is no less powerful.
That…
Cilka's JourneyCilka's Journey, Audiobook CD
by Morris, HeatherAudiobook CD - 2019 | Unabridged.Audiobook CD, 2019. Unabridged.
Added Mar 09, 2020
FreefallFreefall, Audiobook CD
by Barry, JessicaAudiobook CD - 2019 | Audio CDAudiobook CD, 2019. Audio CD
Added Feb 08, 2020
The Indigo GirlThe Indigo Girl, BookA Novel
by Boyd, NatashaBook - 2017 | First edition.Book, 2017. First edition.
SuzeParker's rating:
Added Feb 08, 2020
Comment:
It's shocking that a father would leave his teenage daughter in charge of his finances and land and move to an island colony to pursue his military and political ambitions. I can't imagine that happening today, let alone in the mid-1700s. The mere fact that it did happen and that Eliza Lucas's success with producing indigo had a lasting impact on the success of South Carolina - in a day when women were not even permitted to own land - is a testament to the importance her story. Kudos to Natasha Boyd for having told it and for telling it well. I love books that bring lesser-known, but important, historical figures to life.It's shocking that a father would leave his teenage daughter in charge of his finances and land and move to an island colony to pursue his military and political ambitions. I can't imagine that happening today, let alone in the mid-1700s. The mere…
The Indigo GirlThe Indigo Girl, Audiobook CDA Novel
by Boyd, NatashaAudiobook CD - 2017 | Unabridged.Audiobook CD, 2017. Unabridged.
Added Feb 08, 2020
FreefallFreefall, Audiobook CDA Novel
by Barry, JessicaAudiobook CD - 2019 | Unabridged.Audiobook CD, 2019. Unabridged.
SuzeParker's rating:
Added Feb 08, 2020
Comment:
Freefall is fairly light as suspense novels go, and there are a few plot situations that aren't very believable. That said, it's a fun, plot-driven read with pacing that kept me engaged and wanting to see how everything turned out.
The ChaliceThe Chalice, Audiobook CD
by Bilyeau, NancyAudiobook CD - 2013 | Unabridged.Audiobook CD, 2013. Unabridged.
SuzeParker's rating:
Added Jan 25, 2020
Comment:
I liked Nancy Bilyeau's debut novel, The Crown, so I did what I rarely do and started book #2, The Chalice, immediately. For reasons explained in my review of The Crown, I don't often read Tudor fiction, but this series takes an unusual approach that makes it particularly interesting. The main character, former nun Joanna Stafford, is trying to transition into a quiet, secular life after King Henry VIII dissolves England's Catholic monasteries and priories. Instead, Joanna finds herself entangled again with both powerful enemies and allies in the political machinations of Henry's court, much to her chagrin. Based on the prophesies of three seers, it appears Joanna is the person who will be responsible for saving the shreds of the Catholic faith in England - if she chooses to take on this mantle of her own free will.
Faced with other characters' shifting loyalties and motivations, political maneuvering and lies, Joanna must navigate a perilous and obscure path, save Christendom and, if she's smart and lucky, come out alive.
Once again, Nancy Bilyeau has penned a superbly written and hard-to-put-down novel of a fascinating period in history.I liked Nancy Bilyeau's debut novel, The Crown, so I did what I rarely do and started book #2, The Chalice, immediately. For reasons explained in my review of The Crown, I don't often read Tudor fiction, but this series takes an unusual approach…
The Orphan's TaleThe Orphan's Tale, Audiobook CD
by Jenoff, PamAudiobook CD - 2017 | Unabridged.Audiobook CD, 2017. Unabridged.
SuzeParker's rating:
Added Jan 19, 2020
The Lost ManThe Lost Man, Audiobook CD
by Harper, JaneAudiobook CD - 2019 | Unabridged.Audiobook CD, 2019. Unabridged.
SuzeParker's rating:
Added Jan 01, 2020
Lying in WaitLying in Wait, Audiobook CD[a Novel]
by Nugent, LizAudiobook CD - 2016 | Unabridged.Audiobook CD, 2016. Unabridged.
Added Jan 01, 2020
The Good LiarThe Good Liar, Book
by McKenzie, CatherineBook - 2018 | First edition.Book, 2018. First edition.
SuzeParker's rating:
Added Oct 05, 2019
Comment:
This was my first Catherine McKenzie book, so I'm not sure what I expected. More of a "thriller" thriller, maybe? Even though this wasn't an edge-of-your-seat read, McKenzie created a good psychological study of the three main characters, each of whom has secrets and something to hide. The novel is character driven, and it's easy to get immersed in the women's drama and confusion. They all have lied. The questions are, who's the biggest liar, what trauma has that person's lies created and what danger might those lies create going forward?
This is for sure not my last McKenzie.This was my first Catherine McKenzie book, so I'm not sure what I expected. More of a "thriller" thriller, maybe? Even though this wasn't an edge-of-your-seat read, McKenzie created a good psychological study of the three main characters, each of…
SuzeParker's rating:
Added Sep 21, 2019
Comment:
This was my first Richard Russo read. Unfortunately, it was just OK for me. In real life, I'm not sure these three guys, who seem so different ideologically and personality-wise, would have been drawn together back in the day, or that the friendships would have survived 40 years. Nevertheless, here they are, regrouping on Martha's Vineyard 44 years hence. The description promised "a new level of suspense and menace that will quicken the reader's heartbeat."
What ensues is a lot of revisiting the past (understandable, given the circumstances) and a level of introspection that bogged down the story. The "mystery" was only mildly suspenseful. Maybe I'll give Russo another try sometime...and maybe not.This was my first Richard Russo read. Unfortunately, it was just OK for me. In real life, I'm not sure these three guys, who seem so different ideologically and personality-wise, would have been drawn together back in the day, or that the…
Trust your EyesTrust your Eyes, Audiobook CD
by Barclay, LinwoodAudiobook CD - 2012 | Unabridged.Audiobook CD, 2012. Unabridged.
SuzeParker's rating:
Added Sep 12, 2019
Grist Mill RoadGrist Mill Road, Audiobook CD[a Novel]
by Yates, Christopher J.Audiobook CD - 2017 | Unabridged.Audiobook CD, 2017. Unabridged.
SuzeParker's rating:
Added Sep 12, 2019
Comment:
Grist Mill Road is well-written, and I understand why it appeals to many readers. For me, though, it was somewhat like watching helplessly as a movie character you like ventures into the basement where the murderer is waiting, only less scary and more icky. Patrick's descent into madness was too hard to read. Something about the way it was portrayed was unsavory. I dreaded picking the book up and was glad when I was done with it.Grist Mill Road is well-written, and I understand why it appeals to many readers. For me, though, it was somewhat like watching helplessly as a movie character you like ventures into the basement where the murderer is waiting, only less scary and…
The Chilbury Ladies' ChoirThe Chilbury Ladies' Choir, Audiobook CDA Novel
by Ryan, JenniferAudiobook CD - 2017 | Unabridged.Audiobook CD, 2017. Unabridged.
SuzeParker's rating:
Added Sep 12, 2019
Comment:
Despite the fact that some terrible situations occur in this book - it is wartime, after all - it is largely a sweet, charming, "cozy" read.
Comment: