This contest period's winners were Terry B., Patricia A. and Charlene Q., who each received a copy of THE FOUR WINDS by Kristin Hannah and THE UNWILLING by John Hart.
Tessa
Julie by Jean Craighead George
Book Two of the JULIE OF THE WOLVES series has our heroine returning to her father’s home and trying to reconcile the traditional Eskimo ways with the newer structure of village corporations, industry and working with the white man. The push/pull of old vs. new, of childhood vs. adulthood, of nature vs. business form the central conflicts in the story.
Sharon
The Piano Shop on the Left Bank by Thad Carhart
This memoir is a fascinating story of a writer living in Paris who is inspired to buy a piano and resume playing after passing a shop where used pianos are sold. His musical interests and all the various types of pianos along with the interesting people the author meets provide the reader with an usual and engaging story.
Michelle
Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker
An engrossing, shocking journey into the devastating effects of schizophrenia in a Colorado family. The subject matter made for a difficult read for my book group, as a couple of members have children who struggle witth mental illness. The Colorado connections were fascinating, especially the generous Gary family (known personally by several members of the book group), who offered refuge to the youngest Galvin siblings. We truly enjoyed this book and it generated one of our best book group discussions in years. Highly recommend!
Jeanine
The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare
Teenage Adunni’s strength and perseverance amidst deeply engrained Nigerian cultural attitudes towards women is beyond admirable. She deeply values education and envisions lifting up others with her “louding voice.” I understand Daré’s stylistic choice to include Adunni’s English grammatical errors when speaking from the first person to add to the reader’s experience and lend authenticity as it is her second language, but found them distracting and inconsistent. Nonetheless, an inspirational story that immediately captured my heart.
Lucinda
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Kimmerer
Excellent book!
Tracey
Jackie and Maria by Gill Paul
Who doesn't love a good story about Jackie O? This one was a little different because it wasn't so much about the Camelot couple, but about many others: Jackie's sister Lee, Aristotle Onassis, and Maria Callas the great opera singer, who, before reading this book, I couldn't have told you much about. As with all good historical fiction, there's always something new I learn about the people or the circumstances of the time, and Jackie and Maria did not disappoint. I look forward to reading more books by Gill Paul.
Terry
The Cipher by Isabella Maldonado
The first in the Nina Guerrera series.She is a young FBI agent tracking a serial killer who she escaped as a teenager. The book is action-packed and fast-paced.
Tracey
The Stolen Marriage by Diane Chamberlain
There are many reviews on this book and if you read some of them you will get the jist of the story, so I won't bore you with repeating the outline. I will say this book totally pulled me in; I was thoroughly invested in each and every character. I couldn't wait to see what happened next - I just didn't want to put it down. And the ending - wow, I didn't see any of it coming. It was the perfect ending to this story. Just read THE STOLEN MARRIAGE. I think you will love it as much as I did.
Carol
The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop by Fannie Flagg
A warm look back at the characters from Whistle Stop, Alabama. Fans of FRIED GREEN TOMATOES will enjoy this story celebrating ordinary people and the magic of ordinary days. I recommend the audio version which is narrated by the author. Listening to the story was very much like listening to a play.
Karen
Sea Change by Karen White
I love Karen White. This book does not disappoint. I had to pace myself. I’m enjoyed each page.
Marilyn
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
Well-written reminder of the determination of people to survive an incredible circumstance to find a life in another country that doesn’t welcome them and the courage it takes to flee incredible danger despite not knowing what awaits them as they travel or whom they can trust.
Kathy
Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips
A book of mini-stories about different women in an isolated part of Russia. The stories speak to the women's isolation, resilience, racism and struggles for identity. The women are connected by the story of the disappearance and kidnapping of young girls. However, I thought the strength of the book was in the individual stories.
Katharine
The Guest Book by Sarah Blake
Loved this book. Wonderful characters who are struggling with truth, changing times and secrets.
Jean
A Caribbean Mystery by Agatha Christie
A Miss Marple Mystery set at a luxury resort where Miss Marple is staying thanks to the generosity of a nephew. Miss Marple comes to discover the murderer of an elderly resort vacationer by her investigative skill of listening to other people on site. A delightful read.
Kathy
The Witch Hunter by Max Seeck
Exciting.
Bethany
Song of the Jade Lily by Kirsty Manning
Wonderful, historic, descriptive novel. The emotional story had some interesting twists, as well. Fascinating characters.
Emily
Watch Her by Edwin Hill
Tucker and Jennifer Matson have run the distinguished Prescott University, as well as kept their family darkest secrets unlighted, for decades. When there is a break-in at their mansion, Jennifer calls Maxine, their family long-time friend and the university general manager for help, not knowing that what a difference this call could make. Edwin Hill's WATCH HER has tremendously piqued my curiosity about this thoroughly suspenseful thriller. I truly enjoyed reading it!
Emily
A House at the Bottom of a Lake by Josh Malerman
On their first date, seventeen-year-olds James and Amelia went canoeing on a lake and discovered a normal but unusual house at the bottom of the lake. They were deeply fascinated by it and decided to dive deeper to explore it, not knowing that their lives would change forever. A HOUSE AT THE BOTTOM OF A LAKE is a very original, appalling thriller brimful of mysteries and hideousness! I highly recommend it to fans of this genre!
Emily
Here Lies Daniel Tate by Cristin Terrill
Daniel Tate, who comes from an elite and rich family in California, went missing when he was ten years old. Six years later, he has been found on a snowy street of Vancouver, Canada. The Tates are excited and overjoyed, and shower him with abundance of love and care while trying to understand what has actually happened to Daniel all those years. But one truth is for sure – that he is not their Daniel Tate! Then, who is this young man? What does he want? Cristin Terrill has expertly spun such an enthralling and evocative thriller with myriad of dark secrets and lies! I enjoyed it tremendously and highly recommend it to not only YA readers, but any thriller lover!
Wendellyn
The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel
The dual time line worked well retelling this WWII story.
Jeanne
More or Less a Marchioness by Anna Bradley
MORE OR LESS A MARCHIONESS is a delightful, easy to read first in a new series about the three beautiful, headstrong Somerset Sisters written by Anna Bradley. Without giving any spoilers the story is centered around Iris Somerset who is betrothed to the Marquess of Huntington, Phineas Knight. The characters are charming and likable. This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I loved it.
Jeanne
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE by Celeste Ng is a psychological family thriller that takes a deep, dark look into the lives of family and mother/daughter relationships. This storyline had me in tears and sitting on the edge of my seat. Without giving any spoilers, I have to commend the brilliant way she methodology created the characters and wove them into the plot. At times I found it to be a little slow-moving and for that reason I rated it four stars.
Sheila
Moving Day by Jonathan Stone
More than a great thriller. Deep character analysis. Surprising in many ways.
Betty
Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
Excellent historical fiction.
Pat
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
Brother and sister relive the story of how their family home dominated their lives. Great!
Sharon
The Eighth Detective by Alex Pavesi
Loved this book, unique format!
Rebecca
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab
I loved this book about a woman who is destined to live forever without realizing the cost. I loved her and her determination not to give in to the man who wants her soul. The sacrifices she makes and the love she finally finds makes her a character I will never forget
Christine
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer
I adore this book! The characters are so well written and the story is timeless! A tale of love, sorrow and redemption. I recommend this wonderful book to everyone!!
Sally-Jo
A Time for Mercy by John Grisham
This was a good trial novel. It was a fast read that was a page-turner. I liked that the characters were multi-faceted.
Judy
Apollo’s Arrow by Nicholas A. Christakis
This book helps provide a better understanding of Covid-19 and the impact of this and past viruses.
judie
The Children’s Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin
Learning about that horrific blizzard was educational. However, I thought the character development was weak.
Marsha
Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly
I enjoyed LILAC GIRLS by this author and this historical fiction was just as good. Kelly really does her research. It follows three strong women, Eliza, Sofya, and Varinka during WWI and the Russian Revolution. I learned much about this time in history as these women fight to survive and thrive.
Barbara
The First To Lie by Hank Phillippi Ryan
This book keeps you engaged right from the start. I was sure I figured out Ellie and Nora. Then, I questioned myself. As you continue to meet new characters, this book has you trying to figure out if they really are who they say they are! The ending totally blindsided me with a twist I never saw coming. This book will have you questioning who are the reporters, who are the victims, and who are the murderers.
Mary
The Condition by Jennifer Haigh
An older book by this author, story of broken family with three children. All with perceived “conditions”, some more obvious than others.
Nancy
Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Yes, that UNCLE TOM'S CABIN. I actually chose to re-read it after I watched a PBS broadcast of The King & I, in which a staging of UNCLE TOM'S CABIN plays a key part. But, wow, with everything going on in our country now in terms of racial inequality, immigration and separation of families, sex slavery and Christian values and morality, I believe it is a story well worth re-reading, even if you read it in school, and definitely reading for the first time if you did not. I'm not Christian, and, although Christian values are a strong background theme of the book, I think they can be appreciated by any reader.
Joanne
The Colors of Night by Jayne Ann Krentz
The second in the Fogg Lake series, this book can be read as a stand-alone if you haven’t read the first book. It’s pure J. A. Krentz, which means it’s romantic suspense tinged with the paranormal. Cast and crew are easy to like (as far as the main cast) with plenty of peripheral characters to hate. Plot moves along at a steady pace and I thoroughly enjoyed this one.
Alice
The Wednesday Letters by Jason F. Wright
Very good read.
Marcia
Option B by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant
After losing my husband to a 17-month battle with cancer a friend gave me this book. I didn't know if I could focus and concentrate enough to read in the midst of my grief. But I did. I found this book so helpful and insightful. It has been a great resource on my grief journey. It helped me through some very dark, sad days. It has shown me that somehow I will kick the shit out of Option B, my new, unimagined life, and someday continue living with joy again.
Amy
Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan
Confession: I was not excited about reading this selection for my book club. It did not take very many pages for me to discover how wrong I was about this book. As a lover of historical fiction, I was quickly drawn into this WWII story based on true events. This is the first WWII book that I’ve encountered that is set in Italy, which was an interesting learning experience. I think this book will appeal to fans of UNBROKEN.
Marcia
Mornings With Rosemary by Libby Page
At first it appeared to be a sweet and easy read about the budding relationship between Rosemary, a senior citizen, and Kate, a twenty-something. As the relationship develops, so do the characters with pasts and history. You come to appreciate the life of someone who lived in the same town her entire life and appreciated it, one who endured a war, the loss of her husband, and now modernization. I was moved to tears at times. It was sweet, but also very touching as well.
Cynthia
Caste by Isabel Wilkerson
Important and fascinating.
Marcia
Resilient Grieving by Lucy Hone
This was a great follow-up book to OPTION B. In the midst of grief, I never thought I'd read again, let alone a book about grief. Now I've read several and RESILIENT GRIEVING had such a profound influence on my mourning and my grief. It helped me realize I'm not crazy, I'm grieving. It has given me a glimmer of hope during an extremely difficult time. It has shown me how to grieve in a way that is helpful to me, in a way that honors my husband and his shortened life. It has given me tools to move forward at my own pace, in my own way, and given voice to my feelings.
Elly
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
Riveting, eye-opening story of a migrant mother and son escaping the cartel in Acapulco. As they migrate to el Norte, they encounter many dangerous situations and meet many along the way.
Deb
The Children’s Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin
The first half of the book was heart-wrenching as I knew some characters were inevitably doomed, but I was so invested in each I grieved when they were lost. The second half dealt with the aftermath of the storm and the way it shaped lives for years afterward. However, as the pace slowed, I didn’t find it as compelling as the storm narrative.
Monica
The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict
This book focuses on the eleven days Agatha Christie disappeared in the 1920s. This book, like Marie Benedict’s other books, is fast-paced and quite intriguing. I knew a little about Agatha Christie’s disappearance but didn’t know much about her early life. The book is well researched and leaves you guessing right up to the end. I highly recommend this book.
Cindy
The Law of Innocence by Michael Connelly
It is always enjoyable when authors bring characters from different series together; in this case, Harry Bosch and Mickey Haller. One of the benefits of reading a series is becoming attached to the characters. Starting a new book in a long series is like visiting a friend you haven’t seen for a while. The book gave an interesting perspective on the battle between the defense and the prosecution in a trial.
John
Meet Me in Bombay by Jenny Ashcroft
This is a fun travel story about a couple who want to go to Bombay!
Jan
What You Wish For by Katherine Center
Slow to start, but once the storyline clicks in, very good.
Marilyn
The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett
I loved this book so much that it motivated me to read PILLARS OF THE EARTH, which I loved even more. I can’t believe I never read it before because I love historical books.
Andrea
Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam
While the book received mixed reviews from members of my book club, I loved it. Thought-provoking and a perfect read for our current times. If you want answers to everything, this isn’t for you. But if you are imaginative and able to consider all different options, you will like this.
Shelly
Layla by Colleen Hoover
After becoming an avid reader I have learned that I rather enjoy going into a book not knowing much about it. I believe that this is a must with Colleen Hoover's latest, LAYLA. The only thing I knew about this was that it was a paranormal romance and that intrigued me enough to wonder what exactly Colleen wrote here. I was completely blown away by VERITY and thought or hoped that LAYLA would do the same. I was left a little disappointed but still enjoyed the book. It is not like anything else I've ever read and it definitely kept me wondering what was to come.
Melinda
Petty: The Biography by Warren Zanes
Wonderful book about Tom Petty's life.
Michelle
Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy
4.5 stars for me. This was a heart-wrenching, beautifully-crafted story with a natural flowing feel to it. McConaghy made it appear effortless, definitely an art only a truly talented writer can pull off. The writing drew you in from the beginning and got more poetic towards the end. Another thing I loved was what appeared on the surface was so much more than you initially think. There was clever layering that you are rewarded with as you dig deeper into the past. The symbolism was also exquisite. I would never have picked this up on my own. I am so glad my book group selected this!
Laurie
I’d Give Anything by Marisa de los Santos
Family saga/coming-of-age novel, I laughed and cried. Good for book clubs.
Michele
The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall
Do you believe in God? Can you spend your life with someone who doesn't? What if through the years you find yourselves switching places in your belief, or the reason for your belief has changed, what then? Is it because of your children? The church you serve? Friends? This book gives it to us all. A must-read!
Barbara
The Sweeney Sisters by Lian Dolan
After leading distinctively different young adult lives, three red-headed sisters meet up again after their famous author father dies. Settling his estate involves more than nuts and bolts as they not only have to reestablish their relationships with each other, they struggle to face their grief, individually. Complicating this time together is the startling and upsetting revelation that they have a half-sister, a surprise that adds to the tension and drama. And this sister is a force to be reckoned with herself. THE SWEENEY SISTERS is a story which is character driven, in a location setting which almost becomes a character itself. The narrative is straightforward and very readable, and the reader really gets to know these sisters.
MH
Camino Island by John Grisham
Although I rarely read mysteries now, I found this one enjoyable. The plot was believable and well-thought out, and although I guessed the ending, it was satisfying. Living in the South, I enjoy books set here and found the scenery described familiar.
Rosa
Steal the North by Heather Brittain Bergstrom
This is a multi-layered story about family and faith. An impressive debut. Emmy is a shy 16-year-old who has just learned that she has an aunt that she never knew about. Aunt Beth is pregnant and would like Emmy to participate in a healing ceremony to help Beth bring the pregnancy to term. Beth has experienced numerous miscarriages and is desperate to keep this baby. Each chapter is told from the perspective of the various characters in the story. The prose is beautiful, often funny. I look forward to this author's future work.
LouAnn
Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
I did enjoy this book, however, I did feel it was not as good as her other books. It explored the different personalities and problems of nine people stuck in each other’s company for an extended period of time. Each one faced their fears and problems in different ways.
Patricia
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
Such a horrible story, a work of historical fiction. It is hard to describe the range of emotions I felt while reading this book. I worked as a houseparent for developmentally delayed children many years ago and can better understand from where some of their "misbehavior" stemmed. Sorry it took me so long to get around to reading this book.
Susan
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
Very disappointed considering its selection as Goodreads best debut fiction for 2020. The premise of overcompensation by whites to racism is valid but the writing was uninformed and the characters exaggerated in their reactions to events.
Sharon
Before She Disappeared by Lisa Gardner
Frankie Elkin is a recovering alcoholic who spends all her time going from place to place working on missing person cold cases. Her latest case involves a missing Haitian teenager named Angelique Badeau who has been missing for almost a year. She's from a rough neighborhood on the outskirts of Boston named Mattapan. Frankie gets a job at a local bar with a chance to live in the upstairs apartment. With the help of the victim's family she starts asking the questions that are finally turning up some leads. The book took a lot of unexpected twists and had a great group of secondary characters including a detective, a member of AA, employees at the bar she works at and even a not so friendly cat! Highly recommend!
Pam
The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker
Absolutely loved this book - now reading the sequel, A WELL-TEMPERED HEART.
Marybeth
The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict
I loved this book! I’m an Agatha Christie fan, but even if you aren’t this book will still intrigue you I am sure! It’s a fascinating story behind the famous author going missing for 11 days. It creates a mystery out of it almost as if you are reading one of the author's famous mystery novels. To think it is based in truth makes it all the more appealing. You will leave this book wanting to Google more about her.
Lisa
A Promise of Ankles by Alexander McCall Smith
I love the 44 Scotland Street series and anxiously await each new book. It's like catching up with old friends. Unfortunately, A PROMISE OF ANKLES fell flat for me. The parts about Bertie, Matthew and Big Lou were quite entertaining, but the Dominica and Angus storyline was a bit tedious. Still worth the read, but disappointing.
Linda
Where I Come From by Rick Bragg
This book is mostly Bragg's previous articles from "Southern Living" and "Garden & Gun" magazines. He writes about the deep South (born and currently lives in AL) in a funny, nostalgic way.
Deb
No Stone Unturned: How My Special Needs Child and I Transformed Against All Odds by Debra Taubenslag
Just finished this recently released book and loved it. The story is heartwarming and you will be amazed by (and proud of) her now-an-adult son Nick's current status of working with advocacy groups at local, state and national levels! While the target audience is obvious, each chapter ends with helpful hints applicable to just about ANY relationship, including yours with yourself.
Sherrie
Every Waking Hour by Joanna Schaffhausen
Intense, edge of the seat. Can one kidnapped victim help find another? Daring and compassionate. I loved this story. I was reading and flipping pages as fast as I could. Excellent story, writing and awesome ending!
Donna
The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett
The attention to detail in Follett's books is amazing. This is a prequel to THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH and did not disappoint. I felt like I was living back in the Dark Ages, and his characters were so real to me. Loved it.
Kim
Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz
Such an intriguing read! There's a book within a book, which helps solve the murder (I couldn't guess it), and it is cleverly written and executed. I was sad to see this book end!
Elizabeth
Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto
I found the writing style of this book to be very stilted - maybe it was the translation. It's about a young woman reeling from the loss of her father in a murder/suicide pact he had with a woman, not her mother. The mother moves in with the daughter and they start to try to get on with their lives. Mostly it's the young woman's internal monologue as she tried to understand why her father died that way. Her actions at the very end of the novel felt all wrong to me. I just couldn't get into the story.
Barbara
Dolly Parton, Songteller by Dolly Parton
I really enjoyed this book. I loved the story Dolly told about each song, whether it was about a person, event, or emotion that went into the lyrics of the specific song.
Susan
What Could Be Saved by Liese O’Halloran Schwarz
Schwarz is a fantastic writer. Her previous novel, THE POSSIBLE WORLD, is one of my most favorite reads ever. So, I was really excited to read this latest novel. It didn’t disappoint. What a compelling read! The author keeps her characters so real and slowly reveals their complex family history by going back and forth in time and between characters. A terrible tragedy is explained with sensitivity and you finish the novel feeling like you know and care for this family.
Lorie
Won't Go Home Without You by Cheris Hodges
This was a really good book and hard to put down. It was a great love story with some difficult happenings they had to face and overcome. I can't wait to read about the other sisters.
Susan
Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam
The story pulled me in fast and felt frighteningly real. It was a quick read that left me wanting more. I did appreciate how immersive the story was. I felt like I was there with the family and I connected with the frustration of being so isolated as something (you never find out exactly what) apocalyptic has occurred in the world. I also enjoyed the forced relationship between wealthy African Americans and the white family that was renting their property.
Eva
A Promised Land by Barack Obama
Great historical read with personal innotations.
Elisa
New York by Edward Rutherfurd
A very, very long family saga but so much depth to it! Worth the long read. A touch of a slow start but stick with it. Follows the intertwining of many families from different walks of life from the founding of NYC to current day. If you like sagas and historical fiction, this one is for you.
Linda
The Girl in the Mirror by Rose Carlye
Wonderful read. My friend lent me her copy from the Book of the Month Club. I loved not knowing who was who until the last pages. Don't cheat and read the end, be surprised. Well written and one you won't want to put down.
Susan
Arctic Fury by Greer Macallister
An exciting historical fiction about the strength, perseverance and determination of women.
Donna
The Engineer's Wife by Tracy Enerson Wood
Loved how she described in detail how the Brooklyn Bridge was built, the complications of the building process, the interaction of the husband and wife, and how the time period was not open and receptive to a woman taking charge.
Ann
Leave the World Behind by Rumann Alam
A one and a half night riveting read! Suspense filled with an apocalyptic feeling, perfect for the unreal world we are living in. Much to discuss about each character’s response to the unexpected and unpredictable situation they find themselves in. Highly recommended! (A plus: The story takes place out East on Long Island, which is a very familiar vacation spot for me.)
Robin
Forgiving What You Can't Forget by Lysa TerKeurst
Love this book. It brings so many things about forgiving into the light.
Suzanne
The Wrong Family by Tarryn Fisher
It took me to about a third into it to start enjoying it. Great twists at the end - not at all what was expected.
Linda
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
Quite possibly the best book I have read this year and perhaps last year, too! Gyasi covers the range of the human experience - family, work, relationships, science, religion, grief, loss, depression - all in the most eloquent prose. This book will stay with me for a long time!
Sharon
When We Believed in Mermaids by Barbara O'Neal
Kit Bianci, ER doc, is watching the news and sees the face of her sister, Josie, who was presumed dead several years previously. When her mother insists, Kit takes off for New Zealand where the news story originated to see if she can find her sister. But who is Josie Bianci now? And why did she let them think she died? Along the way of searching for her sister, Kit discovers much about herself and her tumultuous past.
Jennifer
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab
I really related to Addie and loved this book from beginning to end. It left me thinking about what it means to be remembered, what it means to be enough and how to break ties with someone who has power over you. There’s more to this story than meets the eye.
Kay
All the Devils Are Here by Louise Penny
This story is tightly woven with details leading to the very end where the mystery answer is revealed. You are kept on the edge of your seat with suspense as the mystery unwinds on the streets and neighborhoods of Paris.
Jennifer
Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips
This book read less like a novel and more like a collection of short stories loosely tied together. I’m not a fan of short stories and this book left me with a lot of questions and few answers, which is why I don’t like short stories. I was very underwhelmed by this book.
Julia
Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane
A portrait of two families whose lives cross because the husbands are cops together. They become next door neighbors and the interaction of the children of each house changes all their lives.
Myrna
The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter by Hazel Gaynor
The settings in this novel are described so vividly that one can imagine oneself living and working in a lighthouse, one on the east coast of Ireland, the other in Newport, Rhode Island, 100 years apart. The dual plot allows the reader to gradually learn the connection between a pregnant, unmarried young woman sent away from her family in shame and a strong, brave woman of whom she is a descendant.
Pamela
There There by Tommy Orange
It was okay. Each chapter was about a different character, twelve characters in all. This writing format made the book a bit disjointed and a little hard to follow. I did like the character descriptions and wished the author had provided more of each person's story. The end was fairly predictable.
Gerry
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk
Definitely one of the strangest books I've read, but also thoroughly engrossing. The main character is an old woman, a retired engineer/bridge builder who now lives in s small village on the edge of a forest in Poland. There she acts as caretaker to other houses in the village when their owners depart for the winter, and teaches English to children in the local Catholic school. Her true passions are astrology, which she firmly believes guides all the events of our lives, and animals, especially her two dogs that have recently disappeared. She is firmly against eating meat, and against hunting or killing animals for any reason. When a local man is found dead, then two more, the villagers panic. Could the animals be taking revenge on hunters?
Gerry
Come on Shore and We Will Kill and Eat You All: A New Zealand Story by Christina Thompson
Christina Thompson was an American graduate student in Australia when she visited New Zealand and met the Maori man who eventually became her husband. This book is both their story and a history of the contact between the white Western world and the native Maori population of New Zealand, beginning with Abel Tasman's Dutch East India Company expedition in the seventeenth century. I listened to the audiobook and found it a fascinating introduction to a culture about which I knew absolutely nothing.
Gerry
Losing Julia by Jonathan Hull
The main character, Patrick Delaney, is an 81-year-old man living in an assisted living facility. He tells the story in the first person, moving back and forth between the present, and the past, focusing on his days as a young soldier on the Western Front in World War I and on the woman he loved all his life, his best friend Daniel’s fiancée. Patrick fell in love with Julia when he knew her only from Daniel’s descriptions. Meeting her ten years after the war, he spends several days with her in and around Paris. Though he ultimately returns to his wife and son, Julia remains his lifelong true love, and in his heart and imagination, his life's companion. Patrick is surely the fictional character I’d most like to meet and spend time with.
Gerry
Nowhere Boy by Katherine Marsh
3-1/2 stars. NOWHERE BOY was both interesting and informative, shedding light on the refugee crisis that has unfolded across the Middle East and Europe. An American boy is resentful of his family’s move to Belgium until he connects with a Syrian refugee whose circumstances are far more fraught. Some of the details of the story stretched the bounds of credulity, especially toward the end of the book, but it was still an enjoyable and worthwhile read.
Gerry
The Rent Collector by Camron Wright
4-1/2 stars. Based on actual events that took place during the oppressive reign of the Khmer Rouge, THE RENT COLLECTOR tells the story of a poor family living in the municipal dump in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Ki Lym and Sang Ly live in squalor, always striving to improve their lot and hoping to be able to leave the dump, but they are constrained by poverty and the daily stress of caring for their chronically ill son, Nisay. When Sang Ly discovers a secret about their rent collector, Sopeap Sin, a chain of events begins that will change all of their lives. Wright's novel is an interesting and always engaging story of the power of words and literacy, and a lesson in redemption.
Gerry
The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony and Graham Spence
Anthony's story of his work with elephants in South Africa is both fascinating and inspiring. His love and respect for these amazing creatures shines through every page of this memoir. A self-described “bush child” with no formal training in zoology, Lawrence Anthony spent the better part of his life trying to shelter wild animals from the ravages of human conflict and greed. He died in South Africa in 2012 at age 61.
Gerry
The Boiling River: Adventure and Discovery in the Amazon by Andrés Ruzo
This book is an expansion of Ruzo's TED talk (available at https://www.ted.com/talks/andres_ruzo...), which concludes, "In this age, where everything seems mapped...there remains so much to explore. We live in an incredible world. So go out. Be curious. Because we do live in a world where shamans still sing to the spirits of the jungle, where rivers do boil, and where legends do come to life." Ruzo is a Peruvian-Nicaraguan-American geo-scientist who investigated the existence of the "boiling river" in the Amazon jungle as part of his doctoral research at SMU, a phenomenon he'd learned about as a child listening to his grandfather's stories. The story of his exploration in the Amazon rain forest of Peru is both engaging and inspiring.
Gerry
Unburnable by Marie-Elena John
UNBURNABLE is set on the Caribbean isle of Dominica, and tells the story of three generations of Dominican women whose lives were impacted by the clash between African religious and cultural practices, and the biases and expectations of Europeans.
Elise
Snow by John Banville
So beautifully written, and I'm dying to know more about the main character, St. John Strafford. Loved the little twist at the end.
Gerry
She Would Be King by Wayetu Moore
3-1/2 stars for this reimagined story of the founding of Liberia by American abolitionists, free Blacks, and former slaves. Magical realism threads through this novel, bringing together three heroic characters whose special gifts empower them to lead their African American settlers and indigenous African tribes to victory in their battle with white men who seek to perpetuate the horrors of the slave trade.
Gerry
All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team by Christina Soontornvat
Two years ago, the world watched and waited for news of the rescue of 12 young soccer players and their coach after they were trapped in a cave deep beneath the earth's surface. This is the story of that rescue, which brought all 13 out alive and healthy, even after they had spent 18 days trapped by floodwaters, and the first ten of those days without food. One detail that was not publicized at the time amazed me: each of the boys was sedated and completely unconscious throughout the rescue dive in order to avoid the risk of a panic that could jeopardize not only their own lives, but also the lives of their rescuers. This was a monumental effort involving volunteers from around the world, and an inspiring story of survival against all odds.
Gerry
Lyrics Alley by Leila Aboulela
This beautiful novel is part historical fiction, part family saga, and part meditation on love and loss, good and evil. I found Aboulela's portrayal of Sudan in the 1950s fascinating. Her characters were well developed, complex and realistic, and their circumstances and stories compelling. Mahmoud's two wives personify the contrasts between Sudanese and Egyptian cultures and lifestyles -- though both are described from the perspective of the wealthy and pro-Western world -- and the teacher ("effendi") Badr added an additional glimpse into the influence of Islam on both nations. The Sudanese struggle for independence formed a backdrop for this story of people young and old, torn between tradition and modernity.
Gerry
The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton
Historical fiction with a bit of mystery thrown in, THE MINIATURIST was an interesting story that never quite lived up to its potential. Burton has developed an atmospheric setting with a keen sense of the pressures and restrictions that impinge on her characters' lives in seventeenth century Puritan Amsterdam. The story progresses to a climax of sorts, but ended with an unsatisfying and ambiguous denouement, perhaps reflective of the uncertainty of all our futures.
Gerry
The Silence by Dom DeLillo
"Am I serious about this, or simply begging attention...or am I being a little too self-important?" says one of DeLillo's character in this very odd short novel. It seems an appropriate question for the author to be asking himself. Five characters are gathered in a Manhattan apartment to watch Super Bowl LVI in February 2022. Suddenly the TV screen goes blank, and all phone and internet services appear to fail as well. Conversation meanders because "the current situation tells us there's nothing else to say except what comes into our heads," leading to nonsensical statements and non sequiturs posing as deep philosophical thoughts. Interesting in a way, but somehow not satisfying, this novel seems to lack purpose.
Gerry
The Third Man by Graham Greene
Although the audio presentation was uneven, the story of THE THIRD MAN is an interesting one: hack novelist Holly Martins has been invited by his friend Harry Lime to join him in shadowy post-WWII Vienna. But Martins arrives just in time to learn that his friend is dead after being hit by a car. Something about the accident seems suspicious to Martins, and his suspicions grow with each conversation he has with Harry's friends, the police, and onlookers who witnessed some or part of the event. In an unexpected (though lightly foreshadowed) twist, Martins does succeed in resolving his suspicions before the novel's end.
Gerry
His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie
Afi is chosen by her future mother-in-law to marry to a wealthy businessman who is already involved with a woman of whom his family does not approve. Afi knows from the beginning that her task is to win her new husband's love and entice him to leave the other woman. Moving from her little village to the more cosmopolitan setting of Accra, she is introduced to standard and style of living far beyond her previous experience. She is able to enroll in school to pursue her dream of becoming a fashion designer, has a driver to take her wherever she wishes to go, and is given a generous allowance by her husband to spend as she chooses. Afi must decide: will she share her husband with his girlfriend, or risk everything to be his "only wife"?
Gerry
Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce
Location: New Caledonia, an island in the South Pacific that I'd never heard of. The subject: entomology, and specifically, a search for the (mythical?) golden beetle, a topic of no interest to me. The main characters: two women, both definitely peculiar, but somehow likable and increasingly interesting, and a male deranged former POW. This very strange mix develops into one of the most engaging and memorable novels I've read recently, with wild adventures and personal discoveries that bring the characters vividly to life, as Margery Benson and Enid Pretty form a partnership that just might save their lives. LOVED IT!!!
Barbara
The Children's Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin
Melanie Benjamin is such a good writer and I love how each one of her novels focusing on a different era/event in history. THE CHILDREN'S BLIZZARD is no exception. I learned so much about the blizzard and the life of homesteaders in the 1800s. The story is both heartbreaking and hopeful. The characters are richly drawn. I couldn't put the book down. It's the perfect book club read.
Barbara
Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour
BLACK BUCK is very current, relevant, and fresh. A satire about a young African American in the overwhelmingly white tech industry, it can be laugh out loud funny, heartbreakingly sad, and totally anger-inducing. It reminds me of a cross between THE BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES and DEACON KING KONG. I didn't love the ending, but that's a personal preference.
Barbara
A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler
Wow, this book just broke my heart. It's very relevant to what's going on in the U.S. today. Hopefully, we've turned the page and things will get better.
Barbara
The Divines by Ellie Eaton
I love boarding school stories (maybe because my mother went to one and told us lots of stories) and this one did not disappoint. Josephine or Joe or Sephine is an adult now, but haunted by the posh private school that has defined her life. She's not very likable, snobby, kind of cruel, self-absorbed, and completely unself-aware. Self named The Divines, because of the school name, the students reek of privilege and entitlement. Josephine, now close to 40, with a wonderful husband, looks back on her high school life mulling over the mistakes she's made. Unfortunately, she's learned very little and is still totally self-absorbed. Even though Josephine isn't likable, the book is. It's well written and hard to put down.
Jennifer
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
Loved loved loved this fun rom com! Just made me smile while reading!
Carol
Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane
Kept me reading into the wee hours!
Pam
Nine Pints by Rose George
Nonfiction regarding the history of all things blood related - blood donation, leeches, menstruation, etc. Very interesting and well researched.
Phoebe
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
Nature and nurture - how each influence lives of twins who end up on separate paths which point to what truly matters in life. Heartwarming and heartbreaking. Pondered long after the book was finished.
Liz
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
I think I missed something! Was not sure what all the hype was about. Good story, could have been way better.
Maureen
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
Wow, this is the best book I’ve read in a long time. I didn’t know a lot about WW II code breakers. This was such a great story and I fell in love and really cared about all the characters! Thank you. NetGalley for the ARC. Coming out in March don’t miss this book!
Francisca
The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
4.5 stars. This is a delightful fantasy/fairy tale that deals with prejudice, fear, the importance of family, and the courage to do the right thing. I loved these characters (a witch, a swamp monster, a tiny dragon, and a magical child) and their “family dynamic.” While it’s aimed at the middle-school crowd, it is easily enjoyed by adults.
Dianne
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
In my opinion I was extremely disappointed in the book although I loved his other books. The story just seemed boring and silly, especially the police interviews.
Robin
Orchids and Lies by Fiona Gartland
Grab a cup of tea and settle down next to a cozy fire and prepare to immerse yourself into this Irish thriller. You’ll get wrapped up in both the characters and the plot, as well as being drawn into the atmosphere and surroundings of the story. It will keep you guessing both the ‘who’ and the ‘why’ until the very end. I’ve never read anything by Fiona Gartland before, but I was captivated by the way she spins a tale that captured my mind and kept me guessing. Well done.
Kathleen
The Epic Crush of Genie Lo by F. C. Yee
It's a YA book but I thoroughly enjoyed it and I'm over 60. Well written. Funny. Monsters, gods, California, teens, Asian stereotypes, college anxieties, big tech.
Linda
The Boy From the Woods by Harlan Coben
Too long at 370 pages. I read the last 100 pages wishing he'd hurry up and get to the good stuff and the big reveal. Too much time spent on characters driving around, meeting each other in secret, and trying to pry information from each other. By no means a bad book but needed tightening up.
Linda
The First to Lie by Hank Phillippi Ryan
Wow, my head is spinning! All the characters in this thriller are leading double lives. It kept my brain working keeping up with all the shifts in character. Very well written and good of this type of thriller. I haven't read any of her other books but will be after this one.
Liz
Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave
Georgia was brought up in Sonoma County, the daughter of an award-winning wine maker. As an adult she moved away, became a lawyer and becomes engaged to a wonderful man. When Georgia discovers her fiancé has kept an explosive secret from her, she runs home to the safety of her family, only to find her twin brothers are feuding and her parents are separating and selling the vineyard. This is an okay story, but I did find the writing to be a bit cryptic at times and needed to go back and re-read several passages. The ending was predictable, but overall an entertaining story.
JaneEllen
The Children’s Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin
This is a good story about two young sisters and the decisions they made for their young school children living on the prairie in January 1888. Although fiction, it is based on a real event and concludes with the consequences of their decisions. Great descriptions of settling on the Great Plains.
Gina
The Push by Ashley Audrain
A depressing book that reminded me of Dante's "Inferno" with circles of what goes wrong next. It is about a mother who does not love her husband nor her daughter but wants to love them. Each disappoints the mother and she disappoints them. The whole tone was lugubrious.
Beth
Tangerine by Christine Mangan
TANGERINE has been compared to an Alfred Hitchcock movie, and I guess you could say that throughout most of the book. The last few chapters, however, spoil that likeness. Alice has been living of late with her husband in Morocco, Tangier specifically. She is English and isn’t comfortable there, to say the least. Throughout the book the reader will learn in flashbacks how she has come to be so unhappy. One day, her old college roommate, Lucy, an American, arrives unannounced at Alice’s door. Through the flashbacks we learn more and more about Lucy and why she has come to Tangier.
Muriel
News of the World by Paulette Jiles
Captain Jefferson Kidd is the perfect grandfatherly gentleman to be entrusted to care for ten-year-old Johanna, who was a retrieved captive of the Kiowa Indian tribe. It was heartwarming to watch a bond forming between the frightened but courageous and defiant young girl and her elderly protector as they traveled together over 400 miles in dangerous circumstances to reach her relatives. The author has great descriptive powers and is well informed about the ways and happenings in the Old West. This is a beautiful story that will hold your attention throughout.
Jan
Deep Delta Justice by Matthew Van Meter
It is a coincidence that I was reading this book when a bunch of thugs broke into the U.S. capital and damaged so much, including the reputation of the U.S. Of course, we have been a racist country for a long time and the Trump doctrine preached racism, so I should not be surprised. However, I must say that I was astonished at the delay of justice in the case explained in this book. In 1966, a young 19-year-old black man stopped his car when he saw two black boys, seventh graders, both relatives of his. They were being accosted by four white boys. Later, one of the white boys, the child of a racist leader in the community, said that the black man had hit him. The case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. So sad. Excellent report.
Bethany
The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
Fascinating story. Captures what it must have been like for the book women and the people living in that area, dependent on one industry that controlled their lives. It was moving to see the desire for literacy and the commitment the book women had to providing books to people with so little.
Christine
The End of Her by Shari Lapena
This book was certainly interesting. Patrick and Stephanie have a good life and newborn twins. They seem happy until Erica comes into the picture and opens up old wounds, lies, deceit and threatens their family bliss.
Pam
Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey
Sadly, this book didn't meet expectations. The writing is good, with poems and some photos added to the story of McConaughey's life so far. Unfortunately, the tone is arrogant with emotion-less descriptions of violent events of the past. While his take on life's 'greenlights' is uplifting and sometimes inspiring, some of the gritty bits seem glossed over.
Rebecca
The Country Guesthouse by Robyn Carr
Robyn Carr's Sullivan's Crossing books are amazing reads and THE COUNDRY GUESTHOUSE kept me intrigued throughout the audiobook. The main characters, Hannah, Owen and Noah became a man-made family due to their individual circumstances, even though there were complications from other people. When Noah's mother dies, Hannah then becomes his guardian and mother figure through a will by his deceased mother. Hannah rents a house on Sullivan's Crossing so she and Noah can get better acquainted to their new life together. In the process they meet the owner of the house, Owen and his great Dane, Romeo. The bond between the three people and lovable dog was so rewarding to listen to!
Leslie
The Red Lotus by Chris Bohjalian
This is a great story by one of my favorite authors. It's a twisting suspense novel and involves an ER doc and her boyfriend who vanishes while they're on a biking vacation in Vietnam. Lots of twists and turns!
Debbie
Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew Sullivan
MIDNIGHT AT THE BRIGHT IDEAS BOOKSTORE evokes pain and suffering and sadness. The story begins with a terrible death of one of the dispirited customers. Joey Molina hangs himself in the bookstore just before closing time and of course, Lydia Smith finds Joey. In Joey’s pocket, Lydia finds a picture taken at her 10th birthday celebration. Why does Joey have this picture? Lydia begins her search that began 20 years ago when her best friend, Carol O’Toole, and her parents were brutally murdered with a hammer and Lydia remained hidden under the kitchen sink. The symbolism of broken hands surfaces with David, Lydia’s boyfriend, and his hand partially chopped off by the garbage disposable.
Debbie
Dumpty by John Lithgow
John Lithgow has two poetry books satirically following Donald J. Trump’s presidency. I thoroughly enjoyed the second book as the better of the two and more relevant to my knowledge of the events. I relished the sketches that accompany each poem. In this first book, the explanation following the poem too briefly explained the event. A nice distraction from a bleak and rainy day.
Debbie
Facing the Dawn by Cynthia Ruchti
FACING THE DAWN awakened my longing for a better understanding of the Bible. Many times, the story stretched the perimeter of feasibility. Mara Jacobs enters the narrative as a harassed mother of three children and a husband working in in Uganda. Financial woes, uninteresting work, and troublesome children throw Mara into a bottomless pit. Then Liam, the husband, suffers a partial drowning and then an inferno of no return. A child believes himself to be the cause of his father’s death, and overdoses. Light shows at the end of the tunnel, as Ashlee enters Mara’s world to give her the strength and courage to face the problems. Where was Mara when Ashlee needed help? Mara’s conversations with God and herself are very poignant.
Denise
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
Our group loved this book – especially the beautiful descriptions of the completely quirky and compelling characters.
Cecilia
The Children's Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin
I've learned so much from this book and have asked a friend to send me the story of a grandparent who was born during the storm. Can you imagine having a baby at that time?
Donna
Mother May I? by Joshilyn Jackson
Bree is happily married, has two teenage daughters and a infant son. She knows someone who looks like a witch is watching her. While watching one of her daughters rehearsal for a school musical she discovers that her son has disappeared. She suspects the old woman she believes is watching her. Bree is contacted by the kidnapper, and if she wants her son back alive she has to meet the woman's demands. The kidnapper isn't interested in money but in revenge for a incident that happened to her daughter when she attended college that involves Bree's husband and his secret. This roller coaster of a novel gradually reels you in and you feel like you're part of the story.
sherri
A Wild Winter Swan by Gregory Maguire
As always, Mr. Maguire is innovative and alluring with his unusual stories and well-written prose.
Linda
Unforgiven by B. J. Daniels
Destry Grant and Rylan West were high school sweethearts until a tragedy occurred that blew them apart. Rylan’s sister Ginny was murdered and Destry’s brother Carson was accused of the crime. His father got him out of town. Now eleven years have passed and Rylan is back home after tiring of the rodeo circuit. Carson is also back home and tempers around town are high. He vows he loved Ginny and did not kill her. Rylan sees someone sneaking around Destry’s cabin and they think the man is the killer, but the killer is still at large and Destry is in danger.
Linda
Blackberry Summer by RaeAnne Thayne
Riley McKnight is the new police chief in Hope’s Crossing but there are some who haven’t forgotten his wild youth. As he comes to check out the vandalism damage at Claire Bradford’s store, he knows that the teenage crush he had on Claire has not lessened and now she is a beautiful woman. After helping Claire with yard work, he goes to her and they kiss. He is falling for her but knows she is too good for him. It takes the wisdom of a grouchy old man to wake Riley up to what he might lose. Riley realizes all he has ever wanted is to be right here with Claire and the peace and love she brings him.
Linda
Would I Lie to the Duke by Eva Leigh
Jessica McGale is the eldest sibling and feels responsible for the family business. She takes a job as companion to a lady and goes to London. Learning that her employer has been delayed, Jessica decides to act as a widow and get access to wealth investors. She meets Noel Edwards, the wealthy Duke of Rotherby, when she gives financial advice to some of his cohorts. He is attracted to her beauty as well as brains and has never met a woman who sees him for himself and not as a duke. She knows that time is running out and she needs to tell him the truth but doesn’t know how. Her employer has arrived and Jessica knows that time has run out and she hasn’t told Noel the truth about her identity.
Linda
Someone to Romance by Mary Balogh
Lady Jessica Archer is twenty-five and determined to wed. But who? She has a bevy of admirers and likes them but there is no one she would like to spend the rest of her life with. Then she meets Gabriel Thorne, who returned to England to claim his rightful place as the Earl of Lyndale. He is keeping this fact private as he has to deal with his cousin who thinks he will be named the Earl. Gabriel is looking for a wife who can deal with a large household and all it implies and thinks Jessica will make a perfect wife. She tells him she is not a commodity and wants to be romanced. He tells her later that is when he fell in love with her.
Linda
Deadly Cross by James Patterson
Bodies of Kay Willingham and Randall Christopher are found shot to death in her car that is parked behind the charter school headed by Christopher. Kay is the ex-wife of the Vice President of the United States and was a Washington socialite. A gun belonging to Christopher’s wife is found to be the murder weapon. Although she admitted to being at the school that night, she swore she did not commit the murders. Alex Cross is working with FBI Special Agent in Charge Ned Mahoney and keeping Vice President Willingham advised of their investigation. If Christopher’s wife did not shoot the gun, how did it get out of her house and why are there no other prints on it?
Linda
The River Murders by James Patterson and James O. Born
Three short stories involving Robert Mitchum, ex-Navy man and newspaper delivery person. "Hidden" is the first and introduces Mitchum. "Malicious" is the second and Mitchum helps out his brother Natty, who makes his living as a drug dealer. Natty is mixed up in something he shouldn’t. "Malevolent" is the third and Mitchum heads to Afghanistan to find the man who is terrorizing his family, but he gets caught instead.
Linda
Walking with Ghosts by Gabriel Byrne
Born in Dublin, Gabriel Byrne first wanted to become a priest. When that fizzled out, he worked as a plumber’s apprentice and various other jobs until a friend suggested he join an amateur drama group. Acting was in his blood and became his profession. Bouts of depression fueled by alcohol followed him until he got the help he needed to overcome his demons. Now sober for twenty years, he looks back over his life and remembers family and friends.
Terri
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
I had a very hard time getting into this book, but by the time I finished reading it I felt like the author is a genius. He brought the whole story together and tied all of the loose ends together. I actually started reading it again to understand it from a different perspective. So I liked the ending better than the beginning but not my favorite book of his. Not sure if I would actually recommend. My book club read it.
Rose
Pretty Little Wife by Darby Kane
When Lila Ridgefield discovers that her husband, Aaron Payne, has been having sex with his students and video taping them, she becomes furious and wants revenge. She wonders how long this has been going on, especially when he knew about her childhood trauma. Lila begins to plan his murder, and when she thinks she has taken care of him, all her planning blows up! Ginny, the investigator, suspects that Lila killed her husband, but there is no body. So begins a game of deception, investigation, misdirection, and having your the best-laid plans go awry. This is a well-crafted thriller with a surprising ending. Twisted!!
Jan
Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
Another wonderful book from a wonderful writer. Brooks is a journalist who also writes books. This novel is based on an actual event. The villagers in a small community north of London realized that the plague had come to their town in 1666. Led by a wise minister, they agreed to stay within their village and arranged a delivery system where needed goods could be left at a certain place, along with money and lists of needed goods. It was a farming community so they produced most of their food. The richest family in the community refused to quarantine. One young widow tells the story of loss, illness, burial, anger, exhaustion. She and the minister's wife took on the role of medical people. A wonderful historical novel.
Kimberly
A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders
Excellent in every way. Great short stories and wonderfully insightful commentary. Mr. Saunders students are very lucky.
Tessa
Clayton Byrd Goes Underground by Rita Williams-Garcia
4.5 stars. This was wonderful on so many levels, from the history of the blues to the serious work of grieving over the loss of a family member to the need to face our troubles and talk about problems so that we can understand and forgive one another. Appropriate for middle-school readers and adults.
Helen
The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
A fun read, the basis for the Netflix break out new series, Bridgeton. Escape from the pandemic and immerse yourself into the romantic world of Regency England.
Marjorie
The Return by Nicholas Sparks
I loved this book. Once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. The people were so decent, and they had to make hard decisions in their lives. Their circumstances were so different, and interesting.
Shelley
Girl Gone Mad by Avery Bishop
GIRL GONE MAD is a look at the power of popularity, bullying, and guilt. Emily Bennett is a therapist who helps kids in trouble. Her life looks pretty perfect at first glance but lots of things are not what they seem. She was part of a middle school clique that did something bad to the new girl, Grace. And now, people are turning up dead. This psychological thriller moves the reader along on waves of suspense. Who is manipulating who? Once a Harpy, Always a Harpy!
Kimberley
My Ex-Life by Stephen McCauley
This novel is simply a big smile. It is a delightful story of renewed friendships, discovered independence, and Americana. The reader will fall in love with all the main characters and scoff at the antagonists. It is a great length and truly memorable. It may leave the reader self examining for a redo.
Becky
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
Unsettling is the only word I can use to describe this book. Can a person vanish? To themselves? To their family? Can men vanish from society? The world? Can a person vanish and still be physically present? Can a town vanish? Can a person make themselves vanish – even to their own self? What are the repercussions to vanishing? Can a vanished person reappear? And the last question – not are Blacks racist, but what form does it take? At first, I thought this book was vaguely boring, then a third of the way in, I found it compelling. When I read the last page, I was disappointed. Few of my questions had been answered, but those answers simply produced other questions.
Angela
Never Again Goodbye by Terri Blackstock
This is about a young woman who became pregnant at 18 and her father forced her to give up the baby. She left home and never looked back. But she kept thinking about her baby. When her father passed away and left her his house she moved back home looking for the daughter that was taken from her seven years ago. She was adopted by a loving couple in which the wife died. Everyone needed healing.
Ivy
Dark Horses by Susan Mihalic
Intensely disturbing, written with such grace and compassion. This is heart-wrenching story about abuse and the strength it takes for the abused to forge ahead until they have had enough. Mihalic took my breath away with this one.
Donna
The Good Wife by Stewart O'Nan
Patty is pregnant with her first child and is waiting for her husband,Tommy, to come home. Instead of coming home, she receives a phone call from him telling her he's been arrested. A trial is held and his sentence is 25 years to life. This novel gives the reader some insight of the life and struggles of a wife and mother over the period of 28 years while staying loyal to her husband.
Laura
The Children's Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin
Enjoyed this historical fiction book. Great development of the characters. Very sad but interesting learning about all who died (mostly children) in Nebraska's blizzard of 1888.
Robin
The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict
Agathe Christie's disappearance in 1926 has long been a subject of speculation and curiosity. Her claim of amnesia always seemed too incredible to believe. What really happened during those 11 days? And what did her family REALLY know? Author Marie Benedict does a remarkable and very plausible job of recreating the time frame, the circumstances and the emotions that were driving Mrs. Christie during that time of her life. Did Agathe script her own disappearance? Only she knows for sure, and she's taken that to her grave. Ms. Benedict has certainly laid out a storyline that is certainly believable...a plot line worthy of Agathe Christie herself! This tale was engaging and filled with enough twists to keep the reader enthralled.
Anita
Do Not Disturb by Claire Douglas
Kirsty Woodhouse lives with her husband and two daughters in London. Her husband is a successful lawyer. However, after he suffers from depression and a nervous breakdown, they decide to leave London and go to Wales, where Kirsty is originally from, and open a guesthouse with her mother. Soon after they open for business, Kirsty's estranged cousin Selena arrives with her sickly daughter, Ruby. She claims her husband is abusive and violent and had to leave her home to get away. Things start to get very mysterious. There are a lot of twists and turns, and a shocking ending. Anyone who loves a good mystery will enjoy this book. I found it hard to put down.
Jan
The Lost and Found Bookshop by Susan Wiggs
Susan Wiggs has another hit on her great list of books. This is not my favorite type of book but it is easy reading, characters are clear-cut, stylized and there is always a hint of "something else". We discover that "something else" well into the book and it changes the reader's ideas and expectations. I found some of the romantic stuff to be stylized, and frankly, boring. A young woman, raised by a single mother and her grandfather, is forced to return to the bookstore where she was raised when her mother is killed in an accident. She stays, keeping the heavily indebted bookstore alive along with her elderly grandfather. She wants to sell but cannot because her grandfather owns the building. The book is a diversion.
Jane
Framed in Death Valley by Dana Mentink
As always her books are hard to lay down. Suspense, murder, innocence sent to jail and God works through it for his good. I won't give anything away but who done it is not who you would think. A wife believes her husband innocent, but things bring hurt to her because she took her wedding vows for better or worse. Danger abounds. Forgiveness, learning not to condemn yourself as God doesn't and much more. I recommend you read it when have time to read in one sitting.
Francisca
Doña Barbara by Rómulo Gallegos
3.5 stars. This classic of South American literature was first published in 1929. It is an epic tale of two cousins who are fighting for control of a vast estate/ranch in Venezuela. The novel is an early example of magical realism and Gallegos weaves together adventure, fantasy, and romance, using vivid description and outlandish storytelling. The various outdoor scenes were particularly exciting – I could practically taste the grit and feel the dust in my nostrils. If there was any element that made me downgrade the rating, it was the tendency towards melodramatic soap opera.
Anna
A Time to Kill by John Grisham
This is the most recent book I finished. I loved it. The beginning when a young girl is kidnapped and sexually abused/left for dead was very hard to read. This book was very conflicting because the father did kill the two men who were responsible. I personally feel he did the world a favor but I also understand where you let one crime slide, it opens up a can of worms for other vigilantes to take the law into their own hands. The hatred and racism that plays a part in this story is heart-wrenching and will have you at the edge of your seat wondering what you would do and what’s going to happen to this broken father trying to avenge his daughter's brutal attack. Really great book.
Marsha
Cilka's Journey by Heather Morris
A true story of one of the characters in THE TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ. Cilka survives after arriving at Auschwitz at the age of sixteen by doing whatever she is ordered. After the camp is liberated, she is sentenced to fifteen years hard labor in a Russian prison in Siberia. It's an amazing story of Cilka, a doctor who befriends her, and friends and enemies who surround her.
Terry
Fifty Words For Rain by Asha Lemme
A great book by a first time author.
Liz
All That We Carried by Erin Bartels
Melanie and Olivia are sisters that have been torn apart by a car accident that killed their parents ten years earlier while they were on a hiking trip. Melanie now would like to reconnect with Olivia and suggest a wilderness hike. Olivia reluctantly agrees. What ensues on the trip is a journey of love, faith and forgiveness. Overall this was an interesting story, but at times, a bit unbelievable. Parts of the book seemed to be a bit confusing.
Wendy
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
This is a book about a tortured son whose story remains with you long after you have finished it.
Stuart is such a skilled writer whose words never stop resonating. The sadness and determination of Shuggie is heartwarming and devastating simultaneously. No one will forget this story.
Nancy
Shiver by Allie Reynolds
Five old friends are invited to a reunion...but who invited them? And why? And it doesn't take long for past ruptures to surface. A sixth member of their group had disappeared 10 years before and recently been declared dead and her brother wants to know how and why. Nice twist of a climax.
Kathleen
Elephant Company by Vicki Constantine Croke
This is a nonfiction account of James “Billy” Williams and his life in Burma, working with elephants owned by a teak company. He came to know and love Burma and, especially, the elephants. He learned every nuance of their movements, their sounds and their “culture,” if you will. The longer he stayed in Burma, the more he loved the animals. He loved his many dogs and, eventually, a charming woman named Susan.
Alex
The Girls with No Name by Serena Burdick
Well-written historical fiction. The reader gets a real feel for what's life is like in the House of Mercy and gets a picture of what like was like for the poor and well off in the 1910s. The characters are complex and the story keeps the reader engaged.
Nancy
The Betrayal by Terry Lynn Thomas
An unputdownable book! It immerses the reader into a story that will dig deep into all their emotions. Your heart will hurt as the story unravels into a murder mystery that will keep you guessing. The author Terry Lynn Thomas has an outstanding gift of words in this book that will have you craving more. This is book one of the “Olivia Sinclair” series but can be read as a stand-alone. Highly recommend to those who enjoy a good murder mystery with a strong female character.
dianne
The Chanel Sisters by Judithe Little
I enjoyed reading this novel about 'Coco' Chanel and her sisters Antoinette, and Julia-Berthe. It is Antoinette who tells the story. The Chanel sisters were born into poverty, and their mother died at an early age. Their father basically abandons them, putting them in an orphanage run by nuns. The story of their becoming something better is quite an interesting one. 'Coco' and Antoinette are hard working, smart, and street smart too. It was a fascinating story.
Rina
The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Dare
This was an excellent book. I loved the story it told of an amazing woman who stood strong and triumphed in her life.
Laurie
The Cousins by Karen M. McManus
Family saga directed toward young adults. The three young cousins, Miley, Aubrey and Jonah will crawl into your heart!
Bev
The Childen's Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin
Historical fiction at its best!
Jeanne
Summer of ‘69 by Elin Hilderbrand
SUMMER OF ‘69 by Elin Hilderbrand’s is her first historical fiction and in my opinion, she did a great job. Without giving away any spoilers, this is the story of four siblings and their parents that takes place during the tumultuous times during the summer of 1969. The author did a great job creating these characters who were likable and relatable. It’s a quick, easy to read summer beach story that encompasses growing up in uncertain, changing times.
Jeanne
The Swap by Robyn Harding
THE SWAP by Robyn Harding is a dark, psychological thriller that will totally engulf and captivate readers from the first page. Without giving away any spoilers, Robyn Harding has done it again with this brilliantly constructed novel about a dangerous, obsessive fixation, deep dark deadly secrets and twisted relationships. In my opinion, the author’s timeline of events was sheer genius. Readers will be beyond shocked as they read each page and the ending will rock everyone’s world for those who read it. I received an Advanced Reader Copy and these opinions are solely my own. I rated it a five, but it definitely deserves a ten plus rating.
Nancy
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
I did a quick reread of the book after finishing the Hulu series to see the differences and remembered why I love Celeste Ng’s writing style and storytelling ability. There were changes in the series I liked and some I didn’t, but both are worth undertaking!
Teresa
Florence Adler Swims Forever by Rachel Beanland
The story begins with tragedy, one that, to both the characters and the reader, is quite shocking. As the decision is made to hide what happened, the story weaves through the effects of that decision on each character. I found myself drawn to some characters, repelled by others, and anxious to see the outcome on one in particular, and that’s why I didn’t give this book 5 stars. It felt as if the impact on that person was rushed through at the end, leaving the reader wondering. Otherwise, a very intriguing story with an unusual start.
Nancy
Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
I read this book when it first came out and loved it. I love all of Geraldine Brooks' books, including MARCH, for which she won the Pulitzer Prize. This is a historic novel, based on the 1666 Great Plague of London, when the small town of Eyam voluntarily quarantined itself so it wouldn't spread the Plague. I'm leading the discussion for two book clubs, and the first two questions will be 1) could you close your town/city off today, and 2) would you stay or would you go. There are many parallels to the Covid pandemic today, including the theme of God vs. Nature. There are great subplots and, of course, a love story. Most of all, it's worth reading to think about what you would do now and what you might have done back then.
Cheryl
Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman
The American branch of the Owens women started with Maria. Her story crosses from Essex England to Curacao to Esse, Massachusetts, all the while learning about love and her gifts. Some of the men she meets along the way are good men and some are typical of their time. The 1690s was not a good time to be a woman and certainly not a woman with beauty and natural magical talents. I couldn't wait for this book to be published and it did not disappoint. I hope that Alice Hoffman plans on continuing the saga of the Owens women.
Susan
Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane
This was such a great book.
Elly
News of the World by Paulette Jiles
Excellent storytelling of Captain Kidd returning a ten-year-old girl who had captured by Indians to her German relatives.
Anna
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
Opened my eyes to the plight of political and environmental refugees from south of our border. I felt the author wrote thoughtfully and with a reality-focused pen.
Sally-Jo
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
Well-written story. Interesting how the lighter people of color were prejudice against the darker people. Humans seem to need someone to look down on.
Margaret
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab
Though not my usual genre I have been thoroughly engrossed in this novel. A little more than half way through I'm only allowing myself to read 50 pages a day from here on out because I don't want it to end. Addie has made a deal with the devil...she will live forever. The reader goes on a bit of a roller coaster ride with Addie as she learns to thrive in a world where no one remembers her from 1714 to 2014. I don't ever want it to end.
Susan
Interior Chinatown by Charles Wu
A story told as though it’s a script. Language that mimics the form of characters unfamiliar with English as a first language, yet they are fluent. It’s a story where form is more important than plot, where making a point about being a minority becomes a jaggedly told series of scenes. The novel was a miss for me. At times it wagged its finger, or shouted its point, which was obvious. Sometimes authors forget they do have a good story to tell.
SUSAN
Father of Lions by Louise Callaghan
An engrossing, on-the-edge-of-your-seat true story of the man who saved a lion and a bear from the Mosul zoo during the occupation of the city by Isis. Compassion, audacity and bull-headedness gave Abu Laith, the father of 14 children, the wherewithal to save these animals. The story is also about the ordinary people of Mosul living through the occupation of their city by religious extremists.
Margaret
This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger
In the early 1930s four orphan children, seeking to escape the evil woman who runs the Lincoln Indian Training School where they've been placed, set off in a canoe on the Gilead River in Minnesota. Their goal is to reach the Mississippi and take it to St. Louis where two of the children have an aunt. Full of chance meetings with an array of characters along the way, it was easy to fall in love with these children and their story.
Connie
Pam of Babylon by Suzanne Jenkins
Interesting story about the effects of someone who is sexually active outside of his marriage to the point that he develops AIDS and all the people he passed it on to before he died of it.
Margaret
The Orphan Collector by Ellen Marie Wiseman
In 1918 13-year-old Pia and her mother and infant brothers are living in the slums of Philadelphia while her father is away at war. When Pia's mother succumbs to the Spanish Flu she is left to care for herself and her brothers. In desperation she leaves her brothers at home to go in search of food. Pia becomes ill during her search and is sent to a hospital. She recovers and days later is sent to an orphanage. She is desperate to get home having no idea what has happened to her brothers and thinking they may be dead. In fact, her brothers have been taken in by a grief-stricken woman who is determined to raise them as her own. Heart-wrenching and gripping, I was totally taken in by this story.
Margaret
Cilka's Journey by Heather Morris
An engrossing story and a quick read. I found myself wanting to know more abut the real Cilka. The book is fiction based on a real girl who was taken to Auschwitz at the age of 16. After managing to survive three years there she is imprisoned in the Vorkuta Gulag in Siberia for ten years. The fact that she managed to survive 13 years in two of the worst places on earth is testament to her strength and bravery. The fictionalized parts of this story do nothing to dim the facts. An awesome read.
Marilyn
The Night Circus by Erin Morganstern
Really enjoyed this book. Unusual style for me since it involves magical thinking. I found the use of color and the lack of it a wonderful mental visual. The characters were well written and I felt invested in them.
Diane
The Facts of Life and Death by Belinda Bauer
This book is by a new to me author and I read it straight through. It's about a very small town with only five children. The story is from the viewpoint of a ten-year-old girl, Ruby, who rides with her father every night while he and his group of friends look for a killer. It's a completely different kind of thriller. After I finished this book, I immediately ordered the rest of her books. I have finished two others and have four others on my shelves!
Lynn
The Children’s Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin
I really enjoyed this book. The story was written in such detail that I felt like I was in the blizzard. The characters were well developed and the story was told in a way that you could understand why the characters made the choices they did. This book will stay with me for a while.
Judy
The End of Her by Shari Lapena
This book has had me reading until 3:00 in the morning. Last night I went to bed at 11:00 and at 3:00 I debated with myself whether to read until I finished the book or to go to sleep. Sleep won out. This book is so exciting. Phillip is in his second marriage, having lost his first wife and unborn child to carbon monoxide poisoning. An old flame comes back into his life and is trying to blackmail him and his wife.
Carol
After She Disappeared by Lisa Gardner
Well-developed characters, fast-paced. Always enjoy Lisa’s writing.
Lois
Devoted by Dean Koontz
I'm a sucker for anything to do with Golden Retrievers. Kipp, a 3-year-old Golden, shares the limelight with Woody an 11-year-old autistic child with an IQ of 186 who doesn't speak. This novel is part suspense, part fantasy, and a bit of romance. An excellent read.
Michele
I'll Be Seeing You by Elizabeth Berg
When did you start or have to start parenting your parents? I am at the beginning of this journey so this book struck a chord within me. The impatience, sadness, hurt, even betrayal you feel when your parents age out of living at home, even just living in real time, not the time period in their head. The journey can be bleak at times but so rewarding at others.
Linda
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
I read this classic once again as a book club selection. It's brilliantly written and why I actually own it in my very limited personal library.
Pamela
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
The struggle for survival in the Alaskan wilderness is mirrored by the family issues in this novel. The struggles and aloneness felt are particularly pertinent during the Covid isolation time.
Lorraine
The Paris Model by Alexandra Joel
Alexandra Joel is a writer known in her country of Australia. She’s passionate about “art, fashion, history, politics” and Paris. Her debut historical fiction novel is splendid, twists-and-turns page-turning drama full of secrets, losses, fashion, and evolves into a political spy story. Set in the Australia rural countryside of New South Wales, Sydney, and Paris, it’s a surprisingly absorbing novel that is far more than fashion. Inspired by the true story of Grace Woods, a model for the House of Christian Dior in the early postwar years of 1948 to 1951 Paris, and her backstory in Australia from the time she was 12 to 26 is sure to please.
Merle
Her One Mistake by Heidi Perks
The plot was dark and convoluted leading me into places of unrest. I knew early on that the marriage relationship was one of danger but the plot hints and twists kept me reading to the end. I was surprised and not entirely satisfied with the resolution.
Lisa
Into the Raging Sea: Thirty-Three Mariners, One Megastorm, and the Sinking of El Faro by Rachel Slade
I have to admit that I was pretty skeptical when we decided to read this book for our book club. I was sure that a nonfiction book about a shipping accident would be boring and slow-going. Was I wrong! This is a fascinating account of how things can go wrong when the bottom line and hubris take charge. I highly recommend this well-researched book.
Liz
This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger
So sorry when it ended! I became very close to the vagabonds and their journey down the Mississippi. Each character tugged at my heart and was so glad that it ended well for each of them. I read ORDINARY GRACE and loved the story and the writing. He writes with such compassion for his characters. I will now read one of his mysteries.
Sandy
The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop by Fannie Flagg
If you want a break from the madness and turmoil of today, please get this book! It is a great read for fans of Flannie Flagg and as a sequel to FRIED GREEN TOMATOES AT THE WHISTLE STOP CARE. Even if you haven't read that earlier book, you'll love the nostalgia of life in the past. The book flows easily and follows the lives first introduced in FRIED GREEN TOMATOES, and you"ll find yourself longing for a return to simpler times. I absolutely loved the book, could not put it down, and read it in one day. I hope Hollywood will adapt it into a movie.
Nicolette
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
I was a bit disappointed in this book for how much attention it received. It had the same premise as DARK MATTER but without the edge of that novel. If it was any longer I’m afraid I might have gotten bored, but it was a good quick read.
Nicolette
The Push by Ashley Audrain
A solid story with just enough detail to keep you questioning the truth, a truth that doesn’t hit you till the very end.
Donna
The Paris Hours by Alex George
In 1927, the lives of four strangers in Paris collide in one night. This is a beautifully-written story of what led up to the climax, along with mentions of many famous people of that time.
Nicolette
The Cold Millions by Jess Walter
Unfortunately, I just could not get pulled into this story. Maybe it just wasn’t the right time for me and I would have enjoyed it more at another time.
Nicolette
The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline
A powerful timeline weaving the stories of multiple women seamlessly together. A page-turner that felt empowering. Highly recommended!
alexis
This Time Next Year We'll Be Laughing by Jacqueline Winspear
One of the best memoirs I've ever read. I wish a book like this was mandatory in schools. Too many young folk haven't a clue how lucky they are with all their electronics.
Lori
Reckless Daughter: A Portrait of Joni Mitchell by David Yaffe
Joni Mitchell is a very interesting person but the book was a bit too tedious for me. Way too much detail about how her albums were made.
Elizabeth
The Art of the English Murder: From Jack the Ripper and Sherlock Holmes to Agatha Christie and Alfred Hitchcock by Lucy Worsley
This was an interesting exploration into the fascination of the English with murder and real-life crime and of the development of the mystery genre in English literature. Worsley reveals how real-life crimes led to obsessive fascination and a form of national entertainment that was the inspirations for novels, plays, and other artistic works. She credits the early English author, Thomas De Quincey, for postulating the idea of "murder as a performance that raised expectations in the public mind." Crime and murder were discovered to provide public entertainment that "would thrill, horrify, and delight" leading to the popularity of the mystery novel. Worsley discusses "sensation" crime novels, the Golden Age novels & modern hardcore thrillers.
Julia
Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane
A story of two families and how their relationships with each other are altered after a life-changing event. The story starts in the 70s with two cops who are in the same beat together and how their relationship alters their families' lives.
Sandy
The Law of Innocence by Michael Connelly
I hesitate to comment on Connelly's books because so much has already been said (and by far better reviewers than me!) But, I started reading him when his first book, THE BLACK ECHO, was published, and I can testify that every book he has written since has been excellent. He hasn't become complacent nor has he eased off on complex plots nor on his concise, tight writing. His early experience as a news reporter laid a solid foundation for his writing now. He has only gotten better with every book. His latest, THE LAW OF INNOCENCE featuring Mickey Haller, lives up to his reputation as a top crime/legal writer. It is a great story, gritty, intense, and with an ending that brings the book to a terrific close. I highly recommend it!
Elizabeth
The Velveteen Daughter by Laurel Davis Huber
Laurel Davis Huber's biographical fiction presents the lives of two talented British women: Margery Williams Bianco, the author of THE VELVETEEN RABBIT, and her child prodigy artist daughter, Pamela Bianco, in this debut novel. The focus of the book is on Pamela Bianco, her relationships with her mother, but also with her father, Francesco Bianco, who fervently promoted his daughter's works of art. It is told in alternating voices of Pamela and Margery. As a child, Pamela became internationally famous but as a young woman with depression, self-doubt and nervous breakdowns, she was no longer thought of as a prodigy, leading to her obscurity. Huber has given new life to Pamela and brought her out of obscurity, at least for this reader.
Jo
Harry’s Trees by Jon Cohen
Unusual description of how the three main characters deal with grief. Author uses fairy tale imagery dealing with loss and good conquering evil. Loved the use of trees as a main character. Nice break from historical fiction, thrillers and standard romances.
Elizabeth
Fiction Can Be Murder by Becky Clark
An entertaining humorous cozy mystery and a bit of a spoof on writers and the writing process, on the vagaries in the publishing world, and on the investigations of an amateur sleuth as well as police procedures. In order to clear herself of the murder of her unpopular publisher, Melinda Walter, who dies in the exact unusual manner as murder mystery writer Charlee Russo's fictional character in her yet unpublished book, Charlee decides that someone in her writers' group, or almost anyone who had access to her manuscript, could be the murderer and that murderer also wants to frame or kill her. In her reckless and dangerous sleuthing, she develops a list of suspects, motives and alibis. This was a fun read with a surprise ending.
Susan
Little Cruelties by Liz Nugent
This is family dysfunction at a fever pitch but I loved it. There are few likeable characters and despicable behavior between brothers vying for live and admiration. Not a novel for the faint-hearted as they leave lots of victims in their lives.
MARY
Eli's Promise by Ronald H. Bolson
A page-turner survival story.
Susan
A Time for Mercy by John Grisham
Jake Brigance and the characters from Clinton, MS are back. It’s 1990 and Jake has another hard trial to get through. Very enjoyable. Jake makes a slip up but gets back up to speed. I see another Brigance novel in the future.
Janet
I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella
A lighthearted story with likeable characters.
Melissa
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab
It will make you think about the marks you are leaving in your life. I also loved the romantic piece of the story.
Patricia
The Children's Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin
Exciting and scary! There are so many other good descriptions for this really great story. In the Dakota Territory in 1888 a fierce blizzard caused young teachers to be the ones to get their students home safely.
Betty
The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner
Having spent a lot of time in San Francisco, I enjoyed the visit back to one of my favorite cities. My heart broke as little Kat had to deal with too much loss for a young child. I was so happy as Sophie began breaking through Kat’s silence, but then my breath was taken away as I realized that Kat could lose Sophie. This book evoked so many emotions in me that it left me emotionally spent.
Linda
Tomorrow Will Be Better by Betty Smith
Set in Brooklyn, 1920s, Margy hopes that things will be better. She wants to find a husband she loves. She meets Frankie and thinks that all will be just fine. Heartbreaks abound in this story of family dynamics.
kim
The Arrangement by Robyn Harding
A college girl, broke and living in New York, finds a way to pay her way by becoming a sugar baby.
I had never heard of a sugar baby before this book and it was an interesting plot for this story.
Loved the characters and the different sub stories in the book. I was a little upset about how it ended because I always want to see every character get what's coming to him/her. And that didn't happen in this story. But I loved it nonetheless.
Katherine
A Time for Mercy by John Grisham
Very interesting story of a family torn apart by domestic abuse, prejudices and murder.
Barb
Widowish by Melissa Gould
I didn't know what to think when I started this book, but wow. What a tearjerker yet also so full of hope. Well done!
Priscilla
The Prisoner's Wife by Maggie Brookes
This was a different WWII book. It was based on a true story. I thought this book held your interest and was very suspenseful. It told a story of a part of WWII that I was unaware happened.
Nora
On the Occasion of My Last Afternoon by Kaye Gibbons
Written in a style reminiscent of the language of an educated southern woman during the time during the Civil War, this book held my interest from beginning to end. The family she grows up in has several slaves and the father treats them like animals. He has a social standing in the county that allows him to get away with many things that people with less money would be jailed for. Emma loved her mother, but wished for a less chaotic home life. Mother often had to "take to her bed" with migraines in order to cope with her life. When Emma marries early and leaves home, it creates a huge break in the family, but she is so much happier in her new life. It also has almost unbelievable hardships, but is so good.
Nora
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
An unusual storyline, held my interest til the end. I couldn't decide whether I liked the people or not. They had their good points, but often that lost out to petty, willful behavior that was destructive to other people's lives as well as their own. Eventually, we find out that some of them have a reason to behave as they do, but not sure it justifies the results.
Lois
Normal People by Sally Rooney
This book about two people with personality disorders was depressing. I wonder if there are many people like them walking around and suffering so much. Sally Rooney is a talented writer and was able to convey the suffering of the two main characters. I thought about them with sadness long after finishing the book.
Sean
A Fire Sparkling by Julianne MacLean
A FIRE SPARKLING by Julianne MacLean is a touching, gripping novel about love, loss, and family. While far from perfect I thoroughly enjoyed the 80% of the book that takes place during World War II. I didn't much enjoy the present-day material except for a twist at the end. The author does a great job creating a complicated plot that makes sense and is thrilling. Overall, a very pleasant read.
Shelby
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
I loved this story, and loved the characters. Ultimately, I couldn't put it down! But, I had some problems with this book. The cultural references used to mark each decade felt very heavy-handed to me, almost like a mini-series loaded with product placements. Did I need to know exactly which makeup colors Tully selected, or that she got "the Rachel" cut in the 90s? While I appreciate the author's attention to detail, I felt there was entire too much energy (and too many words) dedicated to these pop culture elements. Flaws aside, I loved the characters and I loved the story. I sobbed through the last quarter of the book, and literally could not put it down til I finished.
Michelle
Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes
A cute, light read. It felt like it was building towards a more climactic ending but fizzled out for me. At least everything was tied together well enough.
Nancy
A Time For Mercy by John Grisham
Wonderful. The old Grisham is back!
Lucy
The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni
Loved this book, its characters, and how the writer engaged us from the first paragraph.
Louise
The Suspect by John Lescroart
Love this author. All of his books are spellbinding.
John
If I Disappear by Eliza Jane Brazier
This book is about how hard it is being a fangirl when your favorite podcast is discontinued.
Rose
Christmas on Jane Street by Billy Romp with Wanda Urbanska
Sweet holiday book about a family from Vermont who spends a month on Jane Street in NYC selling Christmas trees, wreaths, etc. The Romp family depends on the income from these sales to provide their finances for the year. When the oldest child, Ellie, wants to do things differently, her father rebels, causing a rift between members of the family. After reflection, they all discover that giving is better than receiving. Changing things a little helped them learn.
shelly
Neighbors by Danielle Steel
Meredith White had fame, fortune, a family and a wonderful career. After her husband decides to leave her for another much younger women and a tragedy happens to her son, she has decided to disappear from the public and live alone. She has been living in San Francisco for almost fifteen years with Debbie and Jack her caregivers. They have pretty much taken care of her and acted on many occasions as if her home were their home. Suddenly a massive earthquake takes place and without any hesitation, Meredith suddenly emerges again. Opening the gates to her house and also her home. She checks on several of her neighbors to see if they are hurt or need help. She is lucky that she had minor damage to her home but the others were not so lucky.
Sharron
100 Days of Sunlight by Abbie Emmons
It is presented as a YA book but I found it powerful. Several themes makes you think. Lessons for adults and young people alike.
shelly
Super Fake Love Song by David Yoon
Sunny Dae is considered to be a nerd. He meets Cirrus who mistakes him for his older brother, Gary, who is a famous front-man for a rock band. He is amazed how when he is mistaken for his older brother, and now he is popular and decides he has to make the lie grow more to stay popular and be believable. He loves the attention he is getting from Cirrus and others. As we all know, the truth will always come out and when his brother returns for an unexpected visit he realizes what his younger brother is up to. How long can this lie go on? What I found encouraging is how loyal his best friends are and how they want to help and protect him.
Sharon
Hadley and Grace by Suzanne Redfearn
It's sort of a "Themlma and Louise" story, but I had a lot of laugh out loud moments as Hadley and Grace team up (unwillingly) to get away from Hadley's husband who is also Grace's sleazy boss. From one mishap to the next, the two women gradually become friends, rescuing one another -- along with Grace's infant son and Hadley's daughter and nephew. Very different women, with very different backgrounds, and together they are amazing!
Jan
Saving Justice by James Comey
This book is better than his first. In the first, he had just been fired and wanted to tell his story. In this book, he is explaining and arguing for the American public to believe that most of the Justice Department is honest, transparent, and eager to find and present the truth. Much of the last three years the Justice Department has been a tool for Trump to manipulate for his own salvation. And Barr certainly waited on his master throughout his time in office. Comey argues that most of the people in the department are better than Barr and work for truth and justice, whatever the situation. His thesis is that even if people in the department have done the wrong thing, they will admit it. Many interesting stories. A great read.
Jan
Robert Frost's Poems by Robert Frost, edited by Louis Untermeyer
My copy of this book is so old that it does not have an ISBN number. It was published in 1946. I must have purchased it when I was first in college in 1961. It is an old paperback and, while I have gone back to it now and then to find a specific poem, I recently read it completely again, carefully. I wish all my poetry books came with discussion from Louis Untermeyer or someone like him. I loved Frost's poetry even before he became the first poet ever to write and read a poem for a U.S. Presidential inauguration, John F. Kennedy's in 1961. Not only did Louis Untermeyer edit the book, he wrote teaching information that is invaluable. He discusses themes of Frost, patterns of his poems, and criticisms. A wonderful education now.
Lana
The Cold Vanish by Jon Billman
My family is a strong believer in the benefits of the outdoors, including the wildlands, to our nation's, as well as it citizens, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Our vacation destinations are always to our public lands, including those of the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, etc. When I found that THE COLD VANISH was available through NetGalley I immediately requested it. Mr. Billman sets down the stories of several individuals' disappearances on public lands and the possible causes of those disappearances.
Nancy
The Brightest Star by Fern Michaels
Lauren runs her family's Christmas shop. They are losing money and her father refuses to update to new methods to keep the shop going. Lauren also has another career, she writes biographies for business figures. She uses some of this money to keep the shop going. She offered a job to write the biography for John Giompalo who owns Globalgoods. This is the online retailer that has put many small businesses out of business. She takes the work, even if she does not want to, because the income will help the store.
Charlene
Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield
I enjoyed the setting on the Thames River, which became one of the characters. It was clear the author did much research to characterize life along the Thames and the idiosyncrasies of the river itself. Although the book was fiction, the storytelling gave me a real sense of how individuals and communities share history, values and belonging.
Suzy
Pretty Little Wife by Darby Kane
This is the first novel for Darby Kane and I think she has a very bright future as a writer. I can't wait for her next book. This is the best mystery/thriller I've read in a long time. It was a quick read because I couldn't put the book down. In addition to the story, I loved the character development. I'd love a sequel to this story, perhaps set 5 to 10 days into the future.
Mary Anne
Troubles in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand
Third and final book set in St. John, USVI. The mystery is compelling, the characters well developed and believable, could not have loved it (all three books) more, wish the series would go on and on.
And I need to visit St. John!
Susan
The Big Finish by Brooke Fossey
A long lost granddaughter shows up at her grandfather's assisted living home causing quite a stir.
Mary Anne
The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict
I have read all of Marie Benedict's books this year, and this one was really good. Everyone knows Agatha Christie's name but I didn't know anything about her personal life. While this book is largely an imagining of her young adulthood, including the missing 12 days, its storyline is plausible and the writing is engaging.
Donna
Camino Island by John Grisham
Actually read CAMINO WINDS (the followup to ISLAND) first and loved the characters and setting so picked up the first one. Even though I sort of knew what was going to happen (referenced in the WINDS book) I thoroughly enjoyed it. There is a group of eclectic writers, an island in Florida, stolen priceless manuscripts, some intrigue and crime and fascinating characters to keep the plot going.
Richard N B
The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells
Classic science-fiction horror. I knew the basic premise going in and had heard part of the famous radio broadcast by Orson Welles, but had never read the original. The first-person narrative lends a sense of urgency and immediacy to the narrative. The reader feels completely immersed in the story. Wells includes significant tension; while there are a few moments of respite, I found it a very anxiety-producing read.
Debbie
The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
After watching a PBS special about Agatha Christie, I resolved to start reading Christie’s books in order. I had already read THE MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR AT STYLES, so I jumped into THE SECRET ADVERSARY. This is a series that features Tommy and Tuppence, two young adventurers looking for a livelihood after World War I. The majority of the book features dialogue, and I prefer more description of the setting and characters. Tommy seems slow-witted and easily confused, while Tuppence forges ahead with speed and determination. I am not sure that this series warrants another journey. Remember, this is after the war and money and jobs are scarce, but Tommy and Tuppence stay at the Ritz and dine lavishly. Yes, they are receiving wages but still...
Dianne
The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey
Purveen Mistry joins her father's law firm and unravels the mystery of why three widows were left out of their husband's will. Fantastic look at life in India at the beginning of the twentieth century.
Our book club is reading mysteries from around the world. We chose this book for our February read.
Anna
This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger
This book told a wonderful story with great characters. It was beautifully written and one of the best books in historical fiction that I have read.
Liz
Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson
Pheby is a 16-year-old slave, the product of her black mother and their master. She has been promised her freedom when she reaches 18. Delphina, the master’s wife, is cruel and jealous. She sends Pheby to Richmond, to the most brutal slave jail there is. It is called The Devil’s Half Acre. While there she becomes the jailer’s yellow wife and does everything and anything just to survive. It is a brutal existence. The author has written an amazing, heart-wrenching story. It would be a fantastic choice for a book club.
Ann
The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni
This book was one of those books I didn't want to end. I listened to it on audio, read by the author who did a terrific job bringing Sam to life. Sam suffered from ocular albinism which made his eyes red. This led to problems of being bullied and teased his whole life. It made it difficult for him to make friends until a new student came into the classroom. He and this little black boy became friends for life. This is a book not to be missed.
Elizabeth
The Girl From the Channel Islands by Jenny Lecoat
FANTASTIC DEBUT!! Historical fans will not want to miss this book. Hedy left Vienna for the Channel Islands to escape German Occupation during WWII, but her safety is in jeopardy since the Germans are now occupying this British territory. A beautifully written, well-researched read.
Veronica
The Narrowboat Summer by Anne Youngson
I loved this story about four amazing women and their struggles while living on a "narrowboat" cruising the English channels. I hope to do that someday.
Gretchen
Perestroika in Paris by Jane Smiley
PERESTROIKA IN PARIS appeals to me because of the anthropomorphic nature of 5 animals: a horse, a dog, a raven and two mallard ducks. The Parisian setting near the Eiffel Tower, the benevolent humans who interact with these creatures, an eight-year-old boy, his nearly centenary great grandmother, merchants, shopkeepers in the neighborhood, equestrian trainers. The writing was delightful, sprinkled with plays on words and deductions by the animals that were humorous and yet wise. Tres charmant!
Tami
Confessions of a Curious Bookseller by Elizabeth Green
Such a fun and quirky read. It’s diary style, complete with emails, social media posts and texts, and it’s oh so funny. Very ELEANOR OLIPHANT IS COMPLETELY FINE meets WHERE'D YOU GO, BERNADETTE. Couldn’t put it down!
Kalynn
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
I loved this book. It had a great message. It is a book that I will be thinking about for a long time.
Rose
Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano
Finlay Donovan's life is falling apart. She is frazzled because her agent and publisher both want the book she was supposed to have finished, her marriage has fallen apart, and her children need her. So, when she goes to meet her agent in for brunch, and they begin talking about the plot for her murder mystery, someone overhears them and gets the wrong idea about Finlay. Finlay is a the perfect heroine! She is someone you root for, and you hope she succeeds. Even though much of the book put Finlay in outlandish situations, they made you laugh and hope that Finlay could work her way out of them. This is a delightful murder-for-hire mystery!
Christine
Different Seasons by Stephen King
Ths is a collection of four novellas, three of which were adapted into films. "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" is a wonderful story of an innocent man sent to prison. (Caveat: if you have seen the movie, you will hear this in Morgan Freeman's voice, even though the character is a red-headed Irish man in the book.) "Apt Pupil" is about a teenage boy who discovers a secret concerning his elderly neighbor and sets about to blackmail him. The horror aspect of this is that it is a story of human monsters. "The Body", which was the basis for the movie "Stand by Me", is an enchanting coming-of-age tale. "The Breathing Method" is the only story that was not made into a movie, and the only one I would consider to be a true horror tale.
Kristi
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
My first Kristin Hannah book and I loved it! I liked all the characters in the book, both the good and the bad, and enjoyed all the strong women that survived up in Alaska. The way the community came together as a family to support newcomers is something you don't always see, especially today. I can't wait to read another book by Kristin Hannah in the future!
Linda
Redemption by B. J. Daniels
Jack French has been released from prison after two years and he is anxious to find who set him up. Then Kate LaFond, new owner of the Branding Iron Café, catches his attention. He learns she is digging for treasure on the old Ackermann homesite and goes to help her. Kate has other secrets she is holding onto, but Jack is patient as he helps her search for the treasure. Everyone thought the four Ackermann boys were killed during the raid years ago but the bones of one were later found up in the mountains. Now the remaining three Ackermann brothers are searching for the gold and have already threatened Kate. It is theirs and they mean to get it.
Linda
Forsaken by B. J. Daniels
Maddie Conner took Bentley Jamison as a city slicker and thought he would be a hindrance when he insisted on accompanying her to the upper pasture to look for her missing sheepherder. He was the new deputy sheriff who had moved to Montana from New York. She was the owner of the Diamond C Ranch and the only sheep rancher left. Maddie was surprised when she saw Jamison was more than able to ride and acclimate himself in the high mountains. Both were surprised to find a downed plane loaded with cocaine and knew they had to get authorities up there, but a blizzard is bearing down on them and the drug runners will be coming to retrieve their drugs.
Linda
Atonement by B. J. Daniels
Dillon Lawson has an identical twin Ethan but they are as different as day is to night. Dillon is a sheriff’s deputy and follows the law. Ethan gets in trouble all the time and not only with drug dealers but a ranch owner. Ethan followed troublemaker Luke Blackwell and robbed a rancher of a valuable rifle. Men have been sent after him to get it back. Dillon was mistaken for Ethan by his pregnant girlfriend. He gave the woman a place to stay, not only at his ranch but in his heart. He found that the ranch became a home with Tessa in it and he does not want to go back to being a grouchy loner.
Linda
Mercy by B. J. Daniels
Rourke Kincaid has a hunch about a woman seen at three murder scenes. He thinks she is connected with the murders somehow and has hired a private investigator to identify the woman. Rourke finds the mysterious woman to be Callie Westfield who is working as a waitress in Beartooth, Montana. His old partner Laura Fuller believes Callie is a serial killer and has a partner. Rourke does not believe that Callie is a murderer but believes she knows something. Or maybe he does not want to believe her capable of murder since he has fallen for her.
Linda
Woodrose Mountain by RaeAnne Thayne
After a tragedy struck in Los Angeles, Evie Blanchard packed up and moved to Hope’s Crossing and to her friend Katherine Thorne in hopes of finding peace. She became too involved with her patients in her previous occupation as a physical therapist and now works in the bead shop and travels to craft fairs. She thinks she is through with physical therapy until Katherine asks her to work with her granddaughter who was involved in a horrific accident several months ago. Evie is not too keen on the idea because she will be in contact with Brodie Thorne, Taryn’s father. Evie and Brodie have butted heads too many times on planning commission ideas, but she owes Katherine and agrees to help.
Linda
Deadly Touch by Heather Graham
Raina Hamish is trying on a dress when she looks into the mirror and sees someone’s image, the image is of a girl who was recently found dead in the Everglades. With the drawing done by the police artist, the girl is identified as Jennifer Lowry. Axel Tiger, FBI agent with the Krewe unit, is investigating the murders of people who were found in the Everglades and meets Raina. Raina can touch a body and see what the victim saw. She can touch a live person and get a “feel” for that person. As she helps Axel in his investigation, she is getting too close and the murderer comes after her.
Linda
The Silence by Kendra Elliot
Detectives Mason Callahan and Ray Lusco are investigating a murder scene at Reuben Braswell’s house when they read his notes and learn about a bomb set to go off in the courthouse. When police help escort everyone out of the courthouse, shots ring out and several officers are killed and Ray is seriously injured. Callahan learns that Braswell was an informant for FBI agent Ava McLane. Upon a closer look at the man's tattoos, the dead man is identified as Shawn Braswell, Reuben's brother. Reuben has Ava’s twin sister Jayne with him. Ava tells Callahan that Braswell is fixated on Ava and her twin.
Linda
Final Girls by Riley Sager
Quincy Carpenter is one of the final girls, a survivor of a mass killing. She was at a cabin with fellow classmates when screaming was heard and everyone was stabbed to death. Quincy was stabbed three times but survived. She ran through the woods and saw a policeman standing beside the road and hurries up to him. He shoots the suspected killer and becomes her lifeline. Quincy has tried to get on with her life and refuses to think about that night. Samantha Boyd, another final girl, survived a massacre at a motel and comes to see her. Sam keeps trying to get Quincy to remember what happened but she tells Sam she doesn’t remember. Quincy doesn’t trust her and wonders what she really wants.
Linda
The Moonlight Child by Karen McQuestion
Looking at the house behind hers one night, Sharon Lemke sees a young girl washing dishes. Why would a young girl be washing dishes at 11:00 PM? Niki Ramos is a teen who has aged out of the foster care program and comes to stay with Sharon. Together, Sharon and Niki try to solve the mystery of the young girl. The Flemings live in the house and Suzette Fleming says they only have a son, Jacob. Sharon tries to get Child Services involved but there is only so much they can do. Niki meets Jacob and knows she can get him to admit to the truth. Both know there is something weird going on in that house.
Linda
Jingle All the Way by Debbie Macomber
Everly’s business partner tells her she is overworked and to take the whole month of December off. Her snarky assistant sets her up on a cruise but it’s not a Caribbean cruise; it's an Amazon cruise into the rain forest of Brazil. Of course, Everly’s clothes are all wrong. She meets and falls in love with Asher Adams, the naturalist who held talks and led hikes into the rain forest. Everly (known by her real name of Daisy) grows to realize how much she has missed out on life while letting her drive and ambition rule her. Asher tells her it is just a shipboard romance and they will forget each other in a few weeks, or will they? He tells her he loves Daisy but not cynical Everly.
Dianne
Our Italian Summer by Jennifer Probst
For the most part, I liked the book about a mother, daughter and grandmother, who decide to go on a trip to Italy, and especially to visit Naples where the grandmother's parents were born. But it also deals with the dynamics of this family trio, where there are some conflicts, not huge conflicts, but ones that need to be addressed so they can heal their hearts and open up to the love they have for each other. The book was well written, but it got very boring to me in some parts and I just wanted to skim over it then. A good story and a light read.
Elizabeth
The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner
A mail-order husband that turned out to be perfect until one morning a knock at the door shattered Sophie’s life. Ms. Meissner wove the storyline around her well-researched account of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake which added to the tension and beauty of this book.
Thomas
One by One by Ruth Ware
This was an excellent book.
Thomas
Insomnia by Stephen King
This was an excellent book to read.
Jan
The Red Lotus by Chris Bohjalian
This is the best Bohjalian book I have read and I have read several. Near the end, I realized that I was absolutely tense racing to the last pages - was she going to die? Who got away? I was convinced that someone was going to die and I would never know who the mastermind was. This is a mystery that races through a love story (or maybe two) and captures an innocent woman along the way. An emergency room doctor is captivated by one of her patients who comes in with a bullet wound. They go to Vietnam together for a bike tour so he can see the places where his uncle died and his father was wounded. But he disappears. And she realizes that she did not really know him. She investigates. A page-turner. Bohjalian is always easy reading.
Beth
My Husband's Wife by Jane Corry
MY HUSBAND’S WIFE is a difficult book to review because I changed my mind about it so many times. I was bored at first, then it was absorbing, then everything was tied up too neatly. But one really great thing to say about this story is that you will change your mind over and over about who is good and who is bad. This is what will keep you reading to the end.
Tessa
It Takes a Witch by Heather Blake
The premise of this cozy mystery is pretty lame. The murder plot (main reason to read a cozy mystery in my humble opinion) was moderately interesting. I also thought the romantic interest was handled fairly well, with a nice promise of more to come. But I’ll probably never know what happens between Darcy and Nick, because I have no plans to continue this series.
Marsha
Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris
A sign on a farmhouse porch in 1931 says "2 children for sale." This leads struggling reporter Ellis and his boss's secretary, Lillian, on a quest to save this family. Characters are well done and many surprises await for Ellis and for us as readers. Enjoyed this one. Found it hard to put down.
Claudia
Faye, Faraway by Helen Fisher
This book has the wow factor. It involves mother-daughter relationships and time travel. What would you ask your mother if you could go back in time? The end of the book was a page-turner with an unexpected twist.
Jean
A Time for Mercy by John Grisham
I just finished reading this book. All I can say is "WOW"!!! If you read anything, you must read this one. It is the best!
Jean
A Time to Kill by John Grisham
It has to be more than 40 years ago when I read this book in paperback. It is seared in my memory.
Of course it came to the front of my mind as I read Grisham's most recent book, A TIME FOR MERCY. I believe that these are my favorite books of all time. If you haven't read them, you must.
Barbara
The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson
I loved this book. It is about forgiveness and lies and above all the inescapable racism Black Americans face every day regardless of social or economic status. I could not put it down.
Barbara
When the Apricots Bloom by Gina Wilkinson
Former Foreign Correspondent Gina Wilkinson's debut novel is told through the eyes of three very different women in Iraq during the reign of Saddam Hussein. This book touched me so much and made me wish to know more about each of these brave women.
Becky
Life's Too Short by Abby Jimenez
Life should be fun with a dire medical prognosis. That is Vanessa’s mantra and the way she lives her life with the specter of ALS in her future. This book could be real downer. It is most definitely NOT! There is a laugh on nearly every page. There is romance and a baby and a dog with more problems than Vanessa and her neighbor! Her neighbor is gorgeous, and kind, and helpful, and steady, and on her vblog he is known as “Jesus abs.” This could have been just a fluff book, but there is plenty of food for serious thought.
Debra
Notorious by Minerva Spencer
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. This is Rebels of the Ton #1 and I can't wait to read the next one. Perhaps a little steamy for some but a great storyline.
Debra
Christmas Bliss by Mary Kay Andrews
A very enjoyable light read that kept you interested throughout. This was "Weezie & Bebe # 4", so I really have to get some of the others because they were both great characters.
Lory
The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel
This was a touching and beautiful book with yet another twist on all the facets of World War II, told through full and intriguing characters. It never ceases to amaze me how many books I've read on WWII and yet how very differently they touch me.
Jay
Surrender the Dead by John Burley
I'm not sure how I received a copy of this book so I extend a huge thank you to the author and William Morrow as I am guessing it was your gift. I have a new favorite author. This book was awesome. It is dark, has twists, the perfect amount of thriller and suspense. I could not put it down! I will be reading another book by this author in short order. Join me!
Elizabeth
The Last Tiara by M. J. Rose
Fans of art, the history of Russia and its royal family, and their jewels will enjoy this book. And how about that gorgeous cover?
