Inara Erickson has always done what's expected of her in order to please her father, an intimidating and successful Seattle businessman. Now that she's out of grad school, though, Inara's not feeling very keen on starting the job she's been offered with Starbucks, especially once she learns the offer is at least partially due to her dad's influence. Instead, she wants to turn the dilapidated house she's just inherited from her aunt into a boutique hotel. It might be crazy, but she knows that with a little remodeling (okay, a lot of remodeling), she can create a calming place of retreat on beautiful Orcas Island. All Inara needs is someone who believes in her ability to make it all come true (preferably someone with a lot of cash to invest in a new hotel). 

When Inara discovers a scrap of intricately-embrodiered silk hidden inside a forgotten cubbyhole at her aunt's house, she's puzzled. The fabric appears to be of Chinese origin. Inara's family has lived on Orcas Island for generations and she's never known any Asian people to reside there. How did the scrap come to be there? And why was it hidden away? Sensing an unsolved mystery, Inara begins looking into the history of the house and discovers the heartbreaking story of a young 19th Century Chinese-American woman who swam for her life in order to reach safety, only to find an uncertain future on Orcas Island. Inara feels that something awful must have happened to Lu Mei Lien, but what? And what role did her ancestors play in the woman's disappearance?

I'm always up for a novel that takes me back in time to explore intriguing historical moments, tantalizing family secrets, and the truth lurking beneath placid surfaces. If the story utilizes an always-compelling dual timeline format? All the better! The Girl Who Wrote in Silk by Kelli Estes offers all of these elements, so I was eager to dive into the tale. While the San Juan Islands setting is atmospheric, the characters in this novel aren't nearly as vivid or colorful. They're sympathetic and likable enough that I cared what happened to them, but none of them are the kind of story people I think about after I close the book. The plot is compelling enough that I kept reading (listening, actually), but I never felt so engrossed that I couldn't have walked away from the story. Estes' prose also feels uneven, with patches of melodrama that made me roll my eyes. On the whole, then, I didn't end up loving this novel. I liked it well enough to finish it, though, and that's saying something.

Note: I listened to this book on audio. The narrator, Emily Woo Zeller, is okay. Her voices annoyed me at times, but overall, she's fine. 

(Readalikes: I can't think of anything. Can you?)

To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find

Back in November, I published a Top Ten Tuesday post about my macabre love for stories about maritime disasters. Lark recommended Ghost Ship: The Mysterious True Story of the Mary Celeste and Her Missing Crew by Brian Hicks as one I might enjoy. Lark never steers me wrong, so I eagerly sought out a copy of the book. I'd heard of the Mary Celeste, vaguely, but really didn't know her story, which goes a little something like this:

Originally named Amazon, the Mary Celeste was a 100-foot long brigantine built in Nova Scotia in 1860-61. "A simple but handsome sailing ship" (19), she was designed to carry cargo and be manned by a small crew. Some believe the craft was cursed from the start as she seemed to have more than the usual number of mishaps over the course of her lifetime. Bedeviled or not, the ship became widely known in 1872. Rechristened as Mary Celeste in 1869, it was chartered in 1870 by a German businessman to carry 1700 barrels of industrial alcohol from New York City to Genoa, Italy. Captain Benjamin Briggs, who would be at the helm, brought his wife and their 2-year-old daughter along on the journey. Seven crewmen were also aboard when the craft left New York Harbor on November 5. About a month later, the ship was spotted floating aimlessly in the middle of the North Atlantic by the crew of the Dei Gratia. No one was steering the craft. Nor was anyone on board. Such "ghost ships" were seen fairly frequently on the high seas for a variety of reasons. What made this one different was that no one who had been on board was ever heard from again. A variety of strange things—like the fact that all of the men's foul weather gear, which would have been worn if they abandoned ship in a vicious storm, was still on the Mary Celeste—gave rise to theories of every kind. Had there been a mutiny on board? Did pirates descend on the ship, killing everyone in sight? Was it all an elaborate insurance scam? Could it have been aliens? Sea monsters? A Bermuda Triangle-ish disappearance? What really occurred to those ten doomed souls?

Ghost Ship is a fascinating book about an intriguing unsolved mystery. Hicks offers a compelling, well-researched account of the incident, including both the known facts and the fictions that grew out of the strange tale. His emphasis on the ship's captain and his seafaring family makes the story especially intimate and personal. I also thought the sections about how the tale of the Mary Celeste changed over the years and became part of supernatural/Bermuda Triangle/alien lore were especially interesting. Because of all these elements and more, I found Ghost Ship to be an engrossing, well-told tale that kept me eagerly turning pages. 

(Readalikes: I've read a lot of books about maritime disasters, but never one about a real mysterious, unsolved maritime mystery, so I'm not sure what to compare this one to. Any ideas?)

To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find

When I saw today's TTT prompt—Top Ten Books With Names/Character Names in the Title—I immediately thought of popular novels I haven't read yet like A Man Called Ove and Finlay Donovan Is Killing It. That was about as far as I got before my mind blanked. Then, I started thinking about all of the real people I'm interested in reading more about. I love a good memoir or biography featuring a fascinating person, so I decided to highlight nine (plus one novel) I've been wanting to read. This list could have been much, much longer, but I managed to exercise some self-restraint. You're welcome!

If you want to join in the TTT fun (and you totally do), click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the details.

Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888)—Little Women is one of my favorite books of all time. Its author lived a unqiue and interesting life. I just got Scibbles, Sorrows, and Russet Leather Boots by Liz Rosenberg from the publisher and I'm eager to read it. It's next up after I finish my current read.

2.  Sarah Breedlove, aka Madam C.J. Walker (1867-1919)—The daughter of slaves, Breedlove became the first female African-American millionaire by creating a hair care formula that cured dandruff and other hygiene problems suffered at the time. The Black Rose by Tananarive Due tells her incredible story.

Elizabeth Cochran, aka Nellie Bly (1864-1922)—As a journalist, Bly broke new ground with her on-the-ground investigative reporting. She's best known for her exposé of the Woman's Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell's Island in New York. While I should probably start with her own book, Ten Days in a Mad-House, as well as the numerous biographies that exist about her life, I'm also very interested in reading Maya Rodale's upcoming novel, The Mad Girls of New York, the first installment in a rollicking new series featuring the intrepid Nellie Bly.

Phil Collins (1951-living)—I'm a longtime fan of this ailing British rocker and have been meaning to read his memoir, Not Dead Yet, ever since it was published a few years ago.

Harper Lee (1926-2016)—To Kill a Mockingbird is my favorite novel, hands down. Its author is another writer who lived a super interesting life. I'd like to know more about her and The Mockingbird Next Door by Lee's friend, Marja Mills, sounds like the perfect place to start.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)—Poetry and I really don't get along. I never understand what poets are trying to say, so trying to read their work just makes me feel dumb. One of the very few exceptions is Longfellow. Not only do his poems rhyme, but they (mostly) make sense! Because of that, he's my favorite poet, even though I've only read a fraction of his work. His life also sounds interesting, which is why I want to read Cross of Snow: A Life of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow by Nicholas A. Basbanes.

Russell M. Nelson (1924-living)—This retired heart surgeon is the current prophet and president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Insights From a Prophet's Life by Sheri Dew has been sitting on my coffee table for over a year. I need to read it already!

Fred Rogers (1928-2003)—This kind, gentle soul has gotten a fair amount of attention in books and films since his passing and yet, I'm always willing to hear more about him. I enjoyed The Simple Faith of Mister Rogers by Amy Hollingsworth, but I've yet to read an actual biography about him. The Good Neighbor by Maxwell King has been sitting on my bookshelf unread for too long; I'm hoping to get to it this year finally.

Jimmy Stewart (1908-1997)—I've mentioned my deep love for It's a Wonderful Life before, so it's probably no surprise that Stewart is one of my favorite actors. I'd love to know more about him, so Jimmy Stewart: A Biography by Marc Eliot is on my TBR list.

Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867-1957)—I was a rabid Little House on the Prairie fan as a kid. Although I've seen all the tv episodes and read all her books, I've yet to read any non-fiction about Wilder. Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Caroline Fraser sounds excellent.

There you go, ten real people I'd like to read more about. What do you think? Have you read any of these books? Who do you enjoy reading about? What are some good memoirs/biographies you've loved? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I'll gladly return the favor on your blog.

Happy TTT! 

I read lots of books every year written by authors I haven't read before. In fact, of the 203 books I read in 2021, 126 of them were by new-to-me writers. I've knocked out 12 novels so far this year; half of them are by authors whose books I've never explored before. I think it's safe to say I enjoy making new author discoveries. It's especially fun when they've got a nice, long backlist for me to check out! For today's list, I tried to highlight the new writers I found last year that I liked so much I read more than one of their books in 2021.

If you'd like to participate in Top Ten Tuesday (and you really should—it's the most fun weekly book event on the Internet), just hop on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the details.

1. Kate Albus—Okay, I actually only read one book by Albus this year, but only because that's all she's published so far. A Place to Hang the Moon is such a gem that I really, really can't wait to see what this debut author does next. 

2. Addison Armstrong—I'm the mother of two boys who were born at 29 weeks gestation. My experience with these tiny babies naturally drew me to Armstrong's debut, The Light of Luna Park, which tells the based-on-a-true-story of an innovative doctor in 1926 New York who saved the premature babies other physicians wouldn't by charging Coney Island visitors money to gawk at them. The admission fees paid for the infants' care, which helped many of them to grow and thrive. Armstrong's second novel, The War Librarian, sounds equally as fascinating as her first.

3. Elizabeth C. Bunce—Bunce is probably best known for her YA novels, but I found her because of her charming middle-grade mystery series. I listened to all of the books—Premeditated Myrtle, How to Get Away With Myrtle, and Cold-Blooded Myrtle—last year and loved every one of them. I am anxiously awaiting In Myrtle Peril, which comes out in October.

4. Amy Lynn Green—Green has written two historical novels for adults. I loved The Lines Between Us, a thought-provoking mystery about conscientious objectors who worked as firefighters in the U.S. during World War II.

5. Jocelyn Green—Another historical fiction author, this Green also writes books set in America's past. I enjoyed the first two novels in her Windy City saga—Veiled in Smoke and Shadows of the White City—in 2021. The third installment, Drawn by the Current, comes out in a week. I can't wait!

6. Jennifer L. Holm—I fell in love with The Lion of Mars, Holm's uplifting middle-grade novel set in space, when I read it last July. After that, I raced through her Boston Jane trilogy, which I very much enjoyed. 

7. Regina Scott—I've talked a lot about Scott's American Wonders series ever since I read A Distance Too Grand back in July. I also enjoyed the second book, Nothing Short of Wondrous, and am looking forward to reading A View Most Glorious sometime soon. 

8. Sarah Stewart Taylor—I discovered Taylor's Maggie D'arcy series mystery series last year. I enjoyed the first two books in the series and am looking forward to The Drowning Sea, which comes out in June. Taylor has also penned a mystery series starring an art historian who's an expert in gravestone art, which sounds excellent. Unfortunately, my local libraries don't carry the books. Boo hoo.

9. Tessa Wegert—Death in the Family, Wegert's debut, generated a lot of buzz when it came out in 2020. It lived up to the hype for me, so I read the second book in the series as well. I'm excited for the third, Dead Wind, which comes out in April. 

10. Elissa Brent Weissman—Weissman's heartfelt The Length of a String was one of my favorite books of 2021. I'm currently listening to her newest novel, The Renegade Reporters, which is a fun one.

There you go, ten new authors I found in 2021. Have you read any of them? Which writers did you discover last year? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.