Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann

My Rating: 4.0

In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, the Osage rode in chauffeured automobiles, built mansions, and sent their children to study in Europe. Then, one by one, the Osage began to be killed off. The family of an Osage woman, Mollie Burkhart, became a prime target. One of her relatives was shot. Another was poisoned. And it was just the beginning, as more and more Osage were dying under mysterious circumstances, and many of those who dared to investigate the killings were themselves murdered. As the death toll rose, the newly created FBI took up the case, and the young director, J. Edgar Hoover, turned to a former Texas Ranger named Tom White to try to unravel the mystery. 

This was a hard one to get through as it was written very factually and dry. The writing was very thorough almost to the point of being tedious. I did expect that this book would flow and be more engaging. That being said, this was such a horrific crime that almost got covered up and I think everyone should know what happened.

My Time With God by Joyce Meyer

 

My Rating: 4.9

Each daily entry guides readers through a narrative of meditations, an uplifting declaration, and relevant scripture to encourage greater intimacy with God. Including spiritual revelations experienced by Joyce. Each chapter is only a couple of pages so easy to fit in to my morning and I carry the thoughts through out the day. I also love how Joyce includes a scripture at the beginning pertaining to the thought for the day and uses it in ways I would never have gotten out of the scripture. Highly recommend!

The Maid by Nita Prose

My Rating: 4.5

Molly isn't like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others. Her Gran used to interpret the world for her, but Gran died a few months ago. Since then, twenty-five-year-old Molly has been navigating life's complexities all by herself. No matter—she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. Molly gets to know the regular guests of Mr and Mrs Black along with several co-workers.

But Molly's orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself dead in his bed. Before she knows what's happening, Molly's unusual demeanor has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception, one she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, friends she never knew she had unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened to Mr. Black—but will they be able to find the real killer before it's too late?

This is a cute light thriller that was a quick read.

The Poppy War #1 by R.F. Kuang

My Rating: 4.9

Rin aced the Keju—the Empire-wide test to find the most talented youth to learn at the Academies—it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn’t believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin’s guardians, who believed they’d finally be able to marry her off and further their criminal enterprise; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free of the servitude and despair that had made up her daily existence. That she got into Sinegard—the most elite military school in Nikan—was even more surprising. But surprises aren’t always good. 

This reminded me of a cross between Harry Potter and Hunger Games but, with a whole unique twist. Kuang continues to amaze me with her creativity and unique plot lines. I felt for many of the characters and fell into the plotline. Kuang has an amazing ability to create a completely unique plotline yet leaving the reader feel like it is familiar and relatable. I can't wait to read the next novel in this series.

https://amzn.to/3wpV9ky 

The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin

The Many Lives of Mama Love

My Rating: 4.9

No one expects the police to knock on the million-dollar, two-story home of the perfect cul-de-sac housewife. But soccer mom Lara Love Hardin has been hiding a shady she is funding her heroin addiction by stealing her neighbors’ credit cards. Lara is convicted of thirty-two felonies and becomes inmate S32179. She learns that jail is a class system with a power structure that is somewhere between an adolescent sleepover party and Lord of the Flies . Furniture is made from tampon boxes and Snickers bars are currency. But Lara quickly finds the rules and brings love and healing to her fellow inmates as she climbs the social ladder to become the “shot caller,” showing that jailhouse politics aren’t that different from the PTA meetings she used to attend.

This was real and geniune. Despite her admitting all of her behavior, I felt for her. I most especially felt for her children. It was only through her honesty that I got pulled in to this book. I enjoyed the story of her fight to rebuild her life, her relationships and her credibility. Despite the raw honest telling, this had a lot of humor and was an easy read.