Reviews by Wendy E. (Mechanicsville, VA)

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Where Monsters Dwell
Where Monsters Dwell
by Jørgen Brekke
Transcending time and space (10/29/2013)
There are a lot of layers to this mystery that spans centuries and continents. We get to know several characters, both in the present and past. While is seemed that this might be the second in the series, all the pertinent information was slowly revealed about the …more
Three Things You Need to Know About Rockets
Three Things You Need to Know About Rockets: A Memoir
by Jessica A. Fox
Interesting premise (6/30/2013)
Like so many other first readers/reviewers, I had a tough time at the start. Once she gets to Scotland the story picks up. Those readers hoping for more "adventures in bookselling" will not find it here. There is a good bit of 20 something angst. But the Scottish adventure …more
The Good House
The Good House
by Ann Leary
The Good House: A Good Book (12/3/2012)
Hildy is a quirky, wonderful, if sometimes unreliable narrator, whose voice and stories immediately invite you into her life and her small town. She doesn't always see the truth of things, but then who among us does. The style of writing is light and easy, though there is …more
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry: A Novel
by Rachel Joyce
A book to cheer about! (7/5/2012)
Harold and Maureen are in a loveless, lifeless marriage when a letter from Harold's former co-worker arrives. She's got cancer and is writing to say goodbye to Harold. Harold writes a reply and in his docksiders, trousers, shirt and tie sets off to the postbox. When he gets …more
Losing Clementine
Losing Clementine: A Novel
by Ashley Ream
Dark and light! (2/28/2012)
The premise is certainly dark. We know Clementine is counting down the days before she kills herself. Yet some of her antics in the days leading up to her "due date" are quite funny/light. We can certainly see the darkness that fills her life, but there are such wonderful …more
Tides of War
Tides of War: A Novel
by Stella Tillyard
Too much going on! (11/23/2011)
While I enjoyed the historical aspects of this book, there were too many storylines to follow, too many characters to keep up with. The main characters needed a bit more "fleshing out." I found myself wanting to read more about the historical characters, however …more
Heat Wave
Heat Wave: A Novel
by Nancy Thayer
Lazy Beach Read (5/17/2011)
After after a string of heavier titles, Heat Wave is a great light book to get lost in for awhile. The plot is a bit predictable and the characters could use a some more depth, but it is still worth the investment of time to check out Thayer's latest book. She covers …more
My Jane Austen Summer
My Jane Austen Summer: A Season in Mansfield Park
by Cindy Jones
My Jane Austen Summer (1/25/2011)
When her mother dies and her boyfriend breaks up with her, Lily Berry retreats into books. After being fired from her job for reading, she seeks solace in England with Literature Live, a novel re-enactment that her local Indie bookseller is involved with. Her dream of …more
Charles Jessold, Considered as a Murderer
Charles Jessold, Considered as a Murderer
by Wesley Stace
I Just Couldn't Embrace It (11/17/2010)
I wanted to like it. I certainly enjoyed the erudite language, the plentiful allusions and the premise -"music-club" men collecting authentic English songs before they were lost to time. This was a slow read. I was hoping for a more engaging mystery and a bit quicker pace. …more
The Clouds Beneath the Sun
The Clouds Beneath the Sun
by Mackenzie Ford
The Clouds Beneath the Sun (7/13/2010)
This book started with such potential – Natalie has been invited to an archeological dig in Africa shortly after getting her PhD. This is the clean break she is looking for as she mourns the death of her mother and the rejection by her lover. The bits about the roaming …more
Romancing Miss Bronte
Romancing Miss Bronte: A Novel
by Juliet Gael
Romancing Miss Bronte (2/19/2010)
Before I began reading this fictionalized account of the Bronte sisters, I was vaguely aware of their lives and despite having read read Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. Throughout my reading, I found myself checking facts of their lives on the Internet, wondering if that …more
Water, Stone, Heart
Water, Stone, Heart: A Novel
by Will North
Water, Stone, Heart (5/2/2009)
Andrew Stratton is running away from a divorce, Lee is the quirky kid who relates better to adults than people her age and Nicola is fleeing an abusive ex-husband. These three, along with some colorful ancillary characters, bring this quasi-predictable storyline alive with …more
Lima Nights
Lima Nights
by Marie Arana
Feverish to flagging (12/16/2008)
I started reading this book when I had a cold and was slightly feverish. Lima Nights was an appropriate choice as the pace in the first part of the novel is also slightly feverish. I found myself appalled and attracted to Bluhm, the older husband who sees Maria at the bar/ …more
Evening Is the Whole Day
Evening Is the Whole Day
by Preeta Samarasan
Evening Is the Whole Day (4/28/2008)
This is an excellent, horrible book. It is wonderfully written and very engaging. The story is basically told in reverse; we know what happens but not necessarily why until the last few chapters. The plot and characters truly embody the idea of the "sins of the fathers." No …more
Signed Mata Hari
Signed Mata Hari: A Novel
by Yannick Murphy
Signed Mata Hari (11/17/2007)
Signed Mata Hari is an interestingly written as well as an intriguing tale about one of histories most mysterious and scandalous woman. The author has written short vignettes about her life, alternating between first, second and third person points of view depending on the …more
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