Dee Reads

 In some previous posts I've mentioned my thoughts on what books should do for the reader.  For instance, I consider a book "good" if it evokes strong emotions, positive or negative, if it makes you love or hate a character, if it pulls on your heart-strings and doesn't let go.  The right book meets you where you are or finds you when you need it most.  It's a magical or karmic sort of relationship, if you believe in that sort of connection.  Yes, world-building, character development, and plot are important components of a well-written novel, but those are the tools that help build the house that is the book.  Without emotion a book falls flat for me, maybe you too. A recent loss brought these thoughts home to me in the most vivid way.  My 95 year old mother-in-law, Flo, passed away near the end of March.  She had lived a good long life and left behind a family with many lovely memories, some of which were shared at her memorial service.  My...

Tosca Lee Author Photo Credit:  Jennifer Studanski You really must read a book, any book by the author Tosca Lee . If I had my say, you'd read The Long March Home written by Tosca and Marcus Brotherton.  Chosen as The One Book One Nebraska selection for 2025, I also selected it as my Best of 2024.  It was a superior piece of historical fiction set during World War II's Bataan Death March, featuring three hometown friends who vow to make it back from the war alive.  It is as well-researched as it is readable!    This gem of a book sparked my interest in Tosca herself.  Like I did, you could go to her  social media pages and website, but to really get a feel for the person and her work, I needed a more personal interaction. I emailed Tosca, requesting an interview with the hope that I might hear from a member of her team.  Surprisingly enough, I got a quick response from the author herself agreeing to answer my questions by email.  Wow!...

I'm not a big proponent of star ratings for books, or ratings at all really.  Books and reading are too subjective.  What you might enjoy and feel is a superstar, no pun intended, of a book, I might think is a complete loser. Ok, now that I've admitted that, I'll also tell you that I use Goodreads to track my reading and it requires you rate books using their star system, one to five.  One being the least liked and five the tip-top.    "Here's a more detailed breakdown of the star rating system, often used on platforms like  Goodreads   and   Amazon : 1 Star:   "Didn't like it" or "Absolutely not, I didn't waste my time finishing it".   2 Stars:   "It was OK" or "Not an enjoyable read".   3 Stars:   "Liked it" or "I liked this book".   4 Stars:   "Really liked it" or "Enjoyed it a lot but one or two things were not perfect".   5 Stars:   "It was amazing" or "Absol...

Today marks two months into 2025, and like many of you I am looking back at some of the thoughts I had about making a few changes in the new year.  I don't make resolutions, strictly speaking, but I do reflect on the year past and set my sights on what I hope to accomplish in the upcoming months.  Emphasis on "hope".  One of those objectives was to clear some of the old books from my "TBR" List.  My intention was to read a book or two each month and begin to carve away some oldies, but goodies I hoped.   February should have been a banner month for me, I read three books from my back-back list.  Joan Hall Hove y's Nowhere to Hide, Anna Willett 's Lost to the Lake, and Ric Wasley 's Shadow of Innocence.  All three seemed right up my alley!  A psychological thriller, a crime thriller, and one in a detective series.  What more could I ask for?  Well, maybe a piece of historical fiction-one of my other loves.  Although these three ...

Snuggled into a small, quiet corner of First Street, Humble Texas is the independently owned bookstore, The Book Readers Venue .  I recently made the short drive from my home in Atascocita to Humble for a visit with the proud and gracious owner of this little gem of a bookstore,  Sherrele Goloversic.  Sherrele owns and operates the bookstore alongside her 8-5 job in information technology.  The focus is on romance and romantic suspense featuring African-American authors.  Don't worry though, there is a book for everyone in her small in size, but big in variety, store.  Sherrele has a little bit of biography/memoir, fantasy and even a cozy corner where children's books are shelved.  "We believe that when one book closes, another one (or 2 or 3) opens." Although only at this location since September 2024, it's evident that Sherrele and her shop are an active part of the community.  I chose a Friday morning visit which happened to coincide with a wom...

In August of 2024, I wrote a blog entitled   "The Unsung or Little Sung Heroes" in which I highlighted three of my favorite authors who fill this bill. Romance author, Katie Mettner, happened to be one of those three.  At the risk of repeating myself, here's a little more about an excellent and prolific author, who happens to be a very kind human being. "Katie Mettner wears the title of 'the only person to lose her leg after falling down the bunny hill' and loves decorating her prosthetic leg to fit the season. She lives in Northern Wisconsin with her own happily-ever-after and spends the day writing romantic stories with her sweet puppy by her side. Katie has an addiction to coffee and dachshunds and a lessening aversion to Pinterest — now that she’s quit trying to make the things she pins. Read about more of Katie's adventures as an amputee writer at http://katiemettner.com/ Come chat with Katie on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Katie-Mettner-A...

  I am a huge FAN of Robert Dugoni !  I am always enthralled by his work; his series (Tracy Crosswhite, David Sloane, Charles Jenkins and Keera Duggan) and his stand-out stand-alone novels.  He is an exceptionally talented author with such a wide-ranging talent and skillset it defies my reality.  For anyone, like me, who wishes they could write, Robert is the gold standard.  This month's review is Hold Strong written with co-authors, Jeff Langholz and Chris Crabtree .  To my thinking, Robert and his partners have more than reached that gold standard bar. This book is such an exceptional work, I find myself in the same position as with Robert's book, The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell , I'm recommending it to every reader I know, posting it on social media, and talking about it until my friends and family are beyond tired of  hearing me gab on and on . . .  Nevertheless, I'm going to drone on a bit more in this review of what may make my Best of 2...