I have gotten VERY behind on posting reviews, both on books for my Summer Reading List (spoiler, I didn’t get to them all) and NetGalley books. This post will focus on the books I have read and reviewed for NetGalley; I’ll do another one on the Summer Reading List (mostly poetry and nonfiction. Does anyone have any tips on making oneself settle down and focus on fiction? I just can’t seem to do it anymore!)

Queen of All Mayhem by Dane Hucklebridge: 3 stars: Other than her name, and that she was an outlaw, I knew nothing of Belle Starr going into this book. The “Wild West” isn’t a subject I have spent much time on, so really, other than the names of the outlaws that made headlines and therefore history, I’m pretty ignorant of this entire piece of American history. In Queen of All Mayhem, Dane Hucklebridge brings this era to life brilliantly. is writing is engaging, his storytelling concise, though there were a couple parts where there was a great deal of exposition that perhaps could have been condensed, but it was relevant to the society in which Belle Starr lived. Hucklebridge takes his readers on Belle’s journey from a well-educated, cultured only daughter to her exploits as a Confederate spy, her rise to the title of Bandit Queen, and into what should have been her days of retirement and ease but were instead abruptly ended by an anonymous killer. Between her adventures she was a wife and mother, who longed for both the thrill of the heist and to hold her children close. Sadly, she had to send her son away to live with family for many years, and her daughter was in and out of Belle’s homes as well as family and friends’.
Belle Starr is presented to readers as a multifaceted woman: intelligent, resourceful, sometimes foolhardy, loyal, always brave. She is a woman of legend, but Hucklebridge introduces readers to the woman behind the myth.

Working the Roots by Amanda Bennett: 2 stars: I am disappointed to admit that I could not really get into this book. I do like Bennett’s writing style, and her words have impact as I feel they were meant to. Poetry is a personal journey, after all. I wonder if my lack of connection to this work may be generational: I feel that I am much older than Bennett, and while some experiences of womanhood are universal, others are wildly different. I do recommend Working the Roots as I believe what Amanda Bennett has to say is of value, and I am sure that other readers will not only fully appreciate her work but see themselves in her words.

My Oceans by Christina Rivera: 2 stars: I was very much looking forward to Christina Rivera’s essay collection My Oceans. I was wondering if it might be similar in tone to Diane Ackerman’s or Elisabeth Tova Bailey’s writing. Sadly, I was disappointed. While Rivera has a wealth of knowledge to share, and has lived and worked in some incredible locations, her concerns for the environment appear to border on obsessive and are almost off-putting.
Our planet is threatened; this is a fact proven by scientists. Climate change is destroying habitats and ecosystems, some may be beyond repair. The state of the planet is something everyone should be concerned about, and I do feel that everyone should do their part to preserve as many of our natural resources as possible. Thus, I and my family try to produce as little permanent waste as possible. We recycle; we reuse as much as we can. We are not perfect, and there is probably more we can do. I do wonder what kind of world my great grandchildren will inherit. I do not, however, wake up with nightmares about the micro plastics that are in my drinking water. I buy my children and grandchildren plastic brick building sets and do not flagellate myself with guilt for months after the fact.
Christina Rivera is a talented writer, and her prose is well-worded. However, her anxiety absolutely leaps off the pages and takes attention away from her message. I finished her book, but it was a struggle, and felt a palpable sense of relief when I finished it. I do recommend this book, but I advise readers to step away from it every so often not because of the subject matter (though Rivera does share some truly gut-wrenching heartache and I honestly felt for her), but to just take a breather from her stress.

Groceries by Nora Claire Miller: 1 star: I expected this book to be poems reflecting on one’s relationship to the items around us, perhaps an allegory of possessiveness or capitalism, based on the synopsis. Instead I am not sure what Miller is trying to convey. I read a great deal of poetry in all its forms, so abstract or found poetry is not unusual to me. This volume is too scattered, lines begin and end abruptly without any continuity; overall, it feels messy. I have said in other reviews that poetry is a personal art. I know Miller has a message she is attempting to convey, and in her own mind she was probably successful. Readers are left floundering and frustrated.

Anthropological Study by Lauren Miller: 1 star: This book earned a one star rating from me. Lauren Miller’s poems are raw and personal, which I greatly respect. It takes a large amount of courage to put oneself on the page so honestly. I found many of the poems too disjointed; they seem to suddenly veer away into a different direction and discuss thoughts unrelated to the initial idea that was presented. Some feel as though they end too abruptly, as though Miller’s idea just stopped. Overall, I found these poems too unfocused to be enjoyable.

Unwed & Unbothered by Emma Duval: 4 stars: I thought Emma Duval’s Unwed & Unbothered was an excellent book. It’s not very long, but this small book holds a wealth of information. Duval showcases dozens of women in brief biographies, highlighting their work and accomplishments. I read a great deal of women’s history, and while I was familiar with many of the notable women she featured in her book, there were many, many others I had never heard of before. Duval’s book led me down a rabbit hole of research, and my TBR list now has an extra page of biographies. I absolutely recommend this book for anyone interested in history and women’s studies; really, I feel that everyone should read it. Too often women’s accomplishments and contributions are brushed under the rug. Emma Duval brings these women to the forefront and reminds readers that women are not silent bystanders. I feel that girls especially should read this book so they can remember that there is nothing they can’t do if they put their minds to it. I will be buying a copy of this for my seven-year-old granddaughter; I want her to always remember that she is an unstoppable force.

Between Two Rivers by Moudhy Al-Rashid: 4 stars: Between Two Rivers by Moudhy Al-Rashid is an incredible journey through centuries of Mesopotamian history. Al-Rashid offers readers a look at the beginning of recorded history, focusing on the development of writing from pictographs to written words. From inventories to laws to literature, the ancient Sumerians and later Akkadians left their mark (literally) on history. Archaeologists today are still unearthing clay tablets and ceramic seals bearing inscriptions of everything from goods exchanged to classroom writing exercises for apprentice scribes to paeons to the gods. Ancient Mesopotamia is credited with being the cradle of civilization, often because writing was developed there. I disagree with this idea as there are plenty of civilizations from history that did not have a writing system (some still existing today). I feel the combination of writing and agriculture is a stronger argument, though still not definitive. What has been proven is that the ancient people of the Middle East were the first to leave written records of their lives, and Moudhy Al-Rashid does a wonderful job of presenting these developments to readers. This book is a must-read for people interested in ancient societies (or for word nerds like me!)

Charles Dickens’ Secret Love Child by Brian Ruck: 1 star (I’d give it zero if I could): I could not get into this book. I will admit that I am not a huge Dickens fan; A Christmas Carol and A Tale of Two Cities are the only works of his that I like. The man was a master of storytelling, however, as his legacy of work and numerous fans will attest. Because of this I have read a number of books about Dickens; it is impossible to recognize the contribution he made to literature even if you don’t like his work. Brian Ruck lost me as soon as he suggested that Ellen Ternan was Dickens’ illegitimate child. Renowned Dickens scholars have all agreed and supported their research with evidence that Ternan was in fact Charles Dickens’ mistress, and that they had a child together. Ellen Ternan may have denied the relationship later in life, but letters and diaries survive confirming their relationship. Ruck uses language taken from some of Dickens’ letters to support his theory that Dickens had an affair with Ellen Ternan’s mother Frances Jarman Ternan and that Ellen was the resulting child. If anything, I think those snippets might indicate that Dickens had an affair with Frances and then years later began a relationship with her daughter. I am not a Dickens scholar, and I have no way to back up this theory; I am just reinterpreting what Ruck has interpreted himself. As well, Brian Ruck admits at the start of his book that he is not a historian or Dickens scholar, and his “proof” is very flimsy. All in all, I found this to be a biased and not well-supported study of Charles Dickens.

This was a very long post, thank you for sticking around! Some of these titles have just been published, and a few are coming out this month. Let me know if you read any of these; I would like to know your thoughts!