meg reads and reads

Title: The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line Author: Mari K. Eder If you like your World War II history served with incredible stories, mediocre writing, and a jarringly political final chapter, this is your book. The core of this book has undeniable strengths. The historical women profiled are remarkable individuals who lived through extraordinary times, and their accounts are riveting. Eder highlights fascinating figures--some familiar, some entirely new--whose bravery and grit make for compelling reading. However, the writing was never going to be good enough for a five-star rating. The execution leaves a lot to be desired, feeling much more like a padded-out article collection than a polished historical narrative. And if you have a drinking game for every time the phrase "stepped out of line" appears, you will not survive past chapter three. Furthermore, the author loves to issue a rallying cry for us to "hold the line" at the end. Which is fascinating, considering ...

Title: World's End Author: Upton Sinclair World's End was my very first introduction to Upton Sinclair, and it absolutely will not be my last. It is a compelling coming-of-age novel that captures the upheaval surrounding World War I with remarkable historical breadth while never losing sight of the people caught inside it. What makes the novel work is its protagonist, Lanny Budd. Because of his birth and upbringing, Lanny has access to worlds that rarely intersect. Growing up on the Côte d'Azur as an expatriate American, he is equally at home in French salons, English country estates, German castles, and conversations with servants and peasants. Through his eyes, starting as a thirteen-year-old in 1913, we watch society stubbornly deny the impending conflict right up until it ignites, and then navigate the stark realities of surviving it. Sinclair's political leanings are well known, but he resists reducing the conflict to heroes and villains. He weaves in competing per...

Title: The Silent Patient Author: Alex Michaelides Thank goodness for a little cooling-off period, because if I had rated this book the exact second I finished it, it would have walked away with a glowing five stars. But after taking some time to actually sit back, process the whole thing, and let my mind chew on the details, the plot holes started multiplying like gremlins. The initial high definitely dropped. I know I have a few friends who are going to see this three-star rating and wonder what is wrong with me. To be fair, it is a decent thriller, and I can completely see why it's a massive hit for so many people. At the same time, it's just as easy to see why someone would totally trash it. So I am going to park myself right comfortably in the middle. The absolute best part of the book was the final resolution. The buildup to it was fine, though it never truly hit a peak level of suspense for me; a lot of the journey was heavily padded with exposition. It didn't help t...

Title: Firefly Beach Author: Luanne Rice I usually enjoy Luanne Rice, but Firefly Beach was a massive slog. It felt like she was trying to fit every possible misfortune into one story--alcoholism, domestic abuse, diving accidents, and so on--until the plot just felt bloated. Instead of making me feel for the characters, the constant barrage of tragedy was exhausting. It went on for way too long, and the narrative wove in and out so much that I found myself getting genuinely bored in several places. While the plot was a mess, there were a few bright spots. I loved the closeness between the sisters and have always envied that kind of built-in support system. They certainly needed each other, too, since their mother was such a piece of work; it's honestly no surprise why at least two of the daughters turned out the way they did. I also really liked the hero's brother, Sam, and that sweet old dog, Homer. They were the only characters keeping me grounded while everyone else in the s...

Title: The Alpine Advocate Author: Mary Daheim While it is an interesting start to a long-running series, The Alpine Advocate is a bit of a mixed bag. The strongest element is Emma Lord herself; as the owner of the town's weekly newspaper, her involvement in the investigation feels more organic than the typical cozy mystery protagonist who just happens to stumble over a body. Having Chris Ramirez--the estranged grandson of the wealthy Neeny Doukas--staying at her house provides a solid personal stake when Chris's cousin Mark is murdered and Chris becomes the prime suspect. The small-town atmosphere is captured accurately, particularly the suffocating web of local genealogy. Emma has only lived in Alpine for four years, and her comment about needing a family tree just to navigate a social gathering will ring true for anyone who has lived in a tight-knit community. However, the pacing and the sheer volume of "unfinished business" within the Doukas family can feel a bit ...

Title: A Lion Among Men Author: Gregory Maguire Wicked was a masterful reinvention, a brilliantly imagined and intricate take on a familiar world. It wove together elements of L. Frank Baum's original Oz books with sharp social commentary, creating a wholly new and enthralling narrative. It was a complete story with a perfect ending, leaving it open for readers to draw their own satisfying conclusions. But where Wicked was a genius work of fiction, A Lion Among Men feels like a tired and unnecessary extension. This book, like the previous one, Son of a Witch , feels like part of a different story altogether, one that strays far from the magic and intrigue that made the first book so captivating. The plot centers on Brr (the Cowardly Lion), but his tale is long, depressing, and all too similar in theme to the previous installment. While the pacing has improved, the story itself is a convoluted mess of flashbacks and unfulfilling revelations. It's an easy read, but mostly because...

Hey everyone! It's been a couple of weeks since I've posted. I am actively reading, but I've started on a couple of new endeavors that I wanted to let you know about. First of all, my first book has been published. It is available on Kindle and in paperback via Amazon. You can find it  here . It's a book of poetry, poems that were written over a period of about fifteen years. I will warn you that it's pretty dark at parts. It's mostly a glimpse at some of the darkest parts of my life. But there are some happy poems in there, too, so don't be put off by that. I've basically poured my heart and soul into this book, and I would appreciate it if you would give it a read (it's short; you'll breeze right through it), and then review on Amazon and Goodreads. Second of all, in case you haven't gotten the memo, I have a podcast now! It's called MBeckelhimer Book Reviews, and you can find it basically anywhere you listen to podcasts. It's...

Title: If You Tell Author: Gregg Olsen If You Tell chronicles the true story of Shelly Knotek and her husband, Dave, how they abused and ultimately killed three (possibly four) people, and further abused their children. The abuse ranges from ridiculous to sadistic to what I would classify as sexual. What really pulled me in to this book was the fact that it was a true story. As a mother, I am truly appalled that someone like Shelly can possibly exist, that someone can be so sadistic toward her own children. I truly don't understand. Shelly and Dave received disgustingly short sentences for their crimes. Dave is already free, and I believe Shelly is set to be released from prison in 2022. Dave is a weak little worm, but Shelly is the epitome of true evil and deserves to rot forever for her crimes. I fear for her children when she is released. The descriptions of the events were tough for me to read at times. It honestly made me physically ill. I had to put the book down f...

Title: The Dark Bones Author: Loreth Anne White It is way past my bedtime, but I simply had to stay up and finish this book. It's a kind of "whodunnit" novel with lots of twists and intricacies that keep you guessing all the way through. I'm usually pretty good at figuring out how books like this will end, but I was completely shocked at the big reveal. It was nice to get a little glimpse of Olivia and Cole again, though Tori is the only one from A Dark Lure  to figure prominently into the plot of this book. However, the plot centers mostly on Rebecca, Ash, and Ricky. I started in the beginning not liking Ricky, but the more I got to know him, the more I liked him. He's just a kid who has crappy circumstances in life. I was mildly suspicious of Ash in the beginning, but I was able to quickly put those suspicions aside. During the first couple of chapters, I wasn't a huge fan of Rebecca because of her attitude toward her father, but I quickly became a h...

Title: The Night Trade Author: Barry Eisler After the disappointment of Livia Lone , The Night Trade really makes up for it. Reading about Dox is always a pleasure, and it was nice to see him team up with Livia. I love that they are not perfect. They are very human, making mistakes and false assumptions, jumping into situations without fully thinking about them. Livia and Dox balanced each other out well. They would certainly be dead without one another. Five out of five stars. -------- READING PROGRESS: Written in My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon: 68% The Waste Lands by Stephen King: 51% Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn: 18% The Dark Bones by Loreth Anne White: NOW STARTING

Title: A Dark Lure Author: Loreth Anne White It's been over a month since my last review, and I apologize for that. The lengthy absence was due to a number of factors: my health, a hectic life, and the fact that a lot of the books that I'm reading are quite lengthy. This wasn't one of the lengthier books, but I have to say, it was definitely a great read. I had a hard time getting through it, not because it was bad, but because it was so good. The author did such a good job of writing a thriller that I would literally have a sense of dread so severe that I would have to put the book down and read something else, just because I was so nervous! That said, this is definitely one of the better thrillers I have ever read. One of the things I like most about it is that, though there is a love story subplot, this is not a story where the man saves the woman. The woman saves herself. It's definitely refreshing in this genre. There were a couple of grammatical issues I...

Title: Let's Dance, Snoopy Author: Charles M. Schulz This is going to be an unpopular opinion, but this was not a fun read for me. It took me forever , because I found the comics to be so tedious and so dated. They have definitely not held up well over time. There were a couple here and there that were cute or funny, but, for the most part, no. Two out of five stars. --------------- READING PROGRESS: Written in My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon: 5% The Waste Lands by Stephen King: 11% A Dark Lure by Loreth Anne White: 20% The Warriors Series Boxset I by Ty Patterson: NOW STARTING

Title: Bad Traffick Author: D.V. Berkom I said a while back I would eventually come back to Leine and see where her story led, and I did. Book Two of the Leine Basso series was better than the first. There were some minor editing issues (you'll notice this is a pet peeve of mine) and a couple of minor consistency issues as well, but nothing major. The character development was decent, and the writing was overall really good. There was the predictability factor, but Berkom did have a couple twists at the end that I didn't completely foresee. This book was definitely a vast improvement over the first. There was even a loose end that I hope is returned to at some point. I'm going to switch gears for my next read, but I will definitely return to Leine in the future. Four out of five stars. ---------- READING PROGRESS: An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon: 43% The Dark Half by Stephen King: 5% Inside Out by Barry Eisler: 31% Let's Dance, Snoopy: 65 Years o...

Title: A Lonely Resurrection Author: Barry Eisler This is the second installment of the John Rain series, and I have to say it was even more enjoyable than the first. There was lots of fast-paced action, and the crime web that Yamaoto--who I am assuming is the series' ultimate villain--seems to be involved with seems to grow ever more complex. I have a notoriously short attention span when it comes to books, just because I'm moody, but I actually read this one beginning to end without pausing to read anything else. It had me that riveted. Four out of five stars. ------------ READING PROGRESS The Tommyknockers by Stephen King: 73% A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon: 80% The Berenstain Bears Chapter Book Collection: 36% Winner Take All by Barry Eisler: STARTING NOW