CHARGE (What is the author trying to say?): Humans aren’t the only thinking species.

FACTS: Marcellus, the giant Pacific octopus, resides in Sowell Bay’s aquarium. is there more to Marcellus than meets the eye? Parallel stories develop between Tova, an older woman who cleans the aquarium, and Cameron an aimless drifter. Will their stories intersect? How will Marcellus fit into the equation? This is an exploration of love, loss, and friendship. It is a compelling story, but I found it very sad. I also felt like the ending was rushed – I wanted to know more.

VERDICT (Was the author successful?): Guilty, charged.

CHARGE (What is the author trying to say?): “Sometimes fairy stories may say best what’s to be said.”

FACTS: At the request of her young dying brother, Margaret Devonshire approaches author C.S. Lewis for the secret to his novel “The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.” While not answering the question directly, through a series of meetings, Lewis draws Megs into the world of imagination. Here she learns truths she could never discover in her studies of science and math. As she struggles to satisfy her young brother’s curiosity, she uncovers herself and her future. This is a beautifully written story – reminding us that the gift of Narnia is the gift of hope.

VERDICT: (Was the author successful?): Guilty, as charged.

CHARGE (What is the author trying to say?): Nurture trumps nature.

FACTS: IVF triplets are born into a dysfunctional family. Their lack of nurture results in their failure to bond, creating a desire to put as much distance between themselves as possible. Desperate to save her family, the mother of the triplets has her fourth embryo implanted in a surrogate. Though this the birth of this daughter did not have the desired effect, she does go on to save what remains of the family in ways that were unexpected. This novel begins slowly, but grows into a multi-layered epic that will resonate for some time.

VERDICT (Was the author successful?): Guilty, as charged.

VERDICT: (Was the author successful?): Guilty, as charged.

CHARGE(What is the author trying to say?): There were women in Vietnam.

Army nurses were stationed in Vietnam during the war. They found themselves in city hospitals and MASH units. A few suffered physical wounds, but almost all emerged with psychological wounds. The soundtrack of Vietnam, which Hannah so thoroughly describes, was the soundtrack of my childhood. Raised on Air Force bases, mostly in California, I went to sleep to the continuous sound of transport planes taking our soldiers to the battlefields. We all knew someone whose father had been or was about to be deployed to Vietnam. Hannah’s book is an eloquent portrayal of the cost of war. The cost isn’t measured in dollars and cents or in statistics recounting dead and wounded. The cost of war is borne by survivors, their families, and the families of the fallen. This is an extraordinary look at how that cost is extracted.

VERDICT (Was the author successful?): Guilty, as charged.

CHARGE (What is the author trying to say?): Sometimes the best skills of a detective are kindness, wisdom, and grace

FACTS: I’ve recently been reading a lot of books on heavy topics. I needed something lighter and more relaxing. This was a perfect choice. I’ve followed Precious Ramotswe through the previous 23 books of the series, and she never disappoints. Her wisdom always resonates: “Forgiveness, she thought: we all need forgiveness for something.” Mma Ramotswe and her assistant, Mma Makutsi, handle several investigations, directed by the precepts of Clovis Anderson in his book The Principles of Private Detection. While not solving true mysteries, the strength of this series lies in the rich characters we meet and the wisdom shared. The author also gives us a wonderful glimpse into the country of Botswana.

VERDICT (Was the author successful?): Guilty, as charged.

CHARGE (What is the author trying to say?): Truth is in the eye of the beholder.

FACTS: Josie Fair is a quirky woman. Has her life been the tragedy she describes to the podcaster Alix Summer? Who orchestrated each dreadful act? Do Josie and Alix share a bond as “birthday twins” having been born on the same day in the same hospital? Are things always as they seem? Between a pedophile, a narcissist, and a sociopath lies the truth. I read it in one day. The twists and turns will keep you engaged.

VERDICT (Was the author successful?): Gulty, as charged.

CHARGE (What is the author trying to say?): Can the popular Stephanie Plum franchise go stale?

fACTS: Stephanie Plum embarks on her thirtieth adventure and frankly, it’s not much different from her prior twenty-nine. Freaks will skip out on their bonds and elude capture, houses are firebombed, cars are wrecked, and tension erupts over Ranger and Morelli. What’s different about this episode? It ends with a cliffhanger. One last installment will be required to put Stephanie out of her misery!

VERDICT (Was the author successful?): Guilty, as charged.

CHARGE (What was the author trying to say?): A healthy relationship can’t be grounded in the placebo effect.

FACTS: The book opens with how Elizabeth and Jack met. This was my favorite part of the book, but the author didn’t spend much time here. Jack and Elizabeth are struggling with their 20-year relationship. The story does not develop in a linear chronology (which I prefer) but volleys back and forth between narrators and time periods. To me the story rang as false as the placebos Elizabeth offered through her business called Wellness. The book is very long. I skimmed over the part about social media algorithms. Much of the conversation achieved nothing and I definitely don’t like footnotes in a novel. As they endlessly contemplated their navels, their child was floundering. Jack and Elizabeth’s relationship is given a fresh start at the end, but I don’t hold out a lot of hope that they can overcome the years of fraud.

VERDICT (Was the author successful?): Gulity, as charged.

CHARGE (What is the author trying to say?): Does knowing the date you will die affect how you live?

Four children consult a Gypsy known for predicting dates of death. How will this knowledge change their lives? Is she accurate or does their belief influence their life choices? I wanted to hate this book. It is written from four different perspectives. I normally prefer one narrator, told in chronological order. The opening character leads a life of blatant carnality that I found disturbing. Despite myself, by the time I reached the third child’s story I couldn’t put the book down. The unexpected twists and turns kept me reading. From characters that were not universally likeable, I discovered a depth of character and richness that I had not expected. There is a lot to learn and experience in this book.

Verdict (Was the author successful?): Guilty, as charged. I loved this book!

CHARGE (what is the author trying to say?): To help us understand who Barbara Walters was. FACTS: Barbara Walters summed up her “whole package” as “a…

Docket Page 80 The Rulebreaker By Susan Page