Reviews by Becky H

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The Daughters of Mars
The Daughters of Mars
by Thomas Keneally
The Daughters of Mars by Thomas Keneally (5/9/2013)
I had a hard time getting used to the lack of commas and quotation marks in this tale of two sisters who nurse for Australia during World War I. Although slow and quite lengthy, the book held my interest with details of nursing under primitive conditions during war …more
Palisades Park
Palisades Park
by Alan Brennert
Another winner from Brennert (5/4/2013)
Brennert writes generation spanning novels that are well researched and well written with engaging characters, vivid place descriptions and enticing plots. In Palisades Park he does not disappoint. lthough Palisades Amusement Park itself is the main character, Eddie Stopka …more
Stiff
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers
by Mary Roach
Macabre, but fun too (4/27/2013)
For anyone interested in the “messy” part of human science, this is the book for you. Mary Roach has a unique sense of humor that makes her off beat topics fun to read. You will learn many facts while being amused and bemused.
STIFF tells what happens to the human body …more
Orphan Train
Orphan Train
by Christina Baker Kline
Finding a family (4/27/2013)
This novel will appeal to both teens and adults. Orphan Train tells two interlocking stories. The first concerns a frustrated, angry teen who has been bounced around the foster care system from one uncaring “home” to another, unloved and generally unwanted. Molly, half …more
Ordinary Grace
Ordinary Grace
by William Kent Krueger
ORDINARY GRACE by William Krueger (4/16/2013)
Frank, a thirteen year old on the cusp of manhood, is the main character in William K Krueger’s book “Ordinary Grace.” On its surface it is a tale of death - a murder, an accident, in war, stupidly or deliberately done, of age or illness. On a much deeper level it is the …more
All Woman and Springtime
All Woman and Springtime: A Novel
by Brandon W. Jones
ALL WOMAN AND SPRINGTIME (4/10/2013)
A mesmerizing book that many will find hard to read. Gi, the main character, changes from a brutalized, terrified 10 year old to a near catatonic teen to a woman of untapped strength in this tale of a North Korean girl condemned and then rescued from a concentration camp. …more
A Land More Kind Than Home
A Land More Kind Than Home: A Novel
by Wiley Cash
A LAND MORE KIND THAN HOME (4/4/2013)
Wiley Cash has a way with words. He can make you see a rain storm or love with equal clarity. In A LAND MORE KIND THAN HOME he has written a beautiful elegy for love and death, faith and fear, condemnation and redemption. Told in three very different voices, the tale …more
Shadow on the Crown
Shadow on the Crown: A Novel
by Patricia Bracewell
SHADOW ON THE CROWN by Patricia Bracewell (3/25/2013)
SHADOW ON THE CROWN is an intricately plotted historical novel based on the early life of Emma of England, a little remembered queen of the medieval period. Emma, youngest daughter of Richard of Normandy and ancestor to William the Conqueror, is sent to England to marry the …more
Out of The Easy
Out of The Easy
by Ruta Sepetys
OUT OF THE EASY by Ruta Sepetys (3/21/2013)
OUT OF THE EASY tells the tale of Josie Moraine, the 17 year old daughter of a prostitute in 1950’s New Orleans. Sepetys gives a clear picture of the brothels, gangsters, and night life of the city while showing the life of a teen who is willing to work and sacrifice for …more
The Burgess Boys
The Burgess Boys
by Elizabeth Strout
A compelling read (3/20/2013)
After starting slowly, The Burgess Boys became quietly fascinating. I kept reading and reading until I finished it in just two days (with many life interruptions). Although I didn’t like Jim, he was spellbinding in his dysfunction. Bob, the much more likeable brother, was …more
A Murder at Rosamund's Gate
A Murder at Rosamund's Gate: A Lucy Campion Mystery
by Susanna Calkins
Restoration England in love and murder (3/18/2013)
I enjoyed this murder mystery with a bit of a love story entwined. The story is engaging with hints dropped carefully without revealing the murderer until the end. I liked the parts about "newspapers" and "police" and thought they added depth and realism to the story. The …more
Lone Wolf
Lone Wolf: A Novel
by Jodi Picoult
Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult (3/14/2013)
I loved the parts of this book that dealt with the wolves! I learned a lot about the pack: its members, their roles, their calls (howls), how they eat, etc.
The “humans” were just not as interesting, perhaps because Picoult has written this book before. (In MERCY, she tells …more
The Burgess Boys
The Burgess Boys
by Elizabeth Strout
great book for discussion (3/5/2013)
After starting slowly, The Burgess Boys became quietly fascinating. I kept reading and reading until I finished it in just two days (with many life interruptions). Although I didn’t like Jim, he was spellbinding in his dysfunction. Bob, the much more likeable brother, was …more
The Aviator's Wife
The Aviator's Wife
by Melanie Benjamin
Fame can be terrifying (2/27/2013)
This well written fictionalization of Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s life from just before she meets Charles A Lindbergh until his death in 1974 is thought provoking. Approximately equal time is given to “the events of 1932” (the kidnapping and murder of the Lindbergh’s first born …more
A Good American
A Good American: A Novel
by Alex George
A wonderful book (2/16/2013)
A lovely book that explores 4 generations of a family. Carefully drawn characters and a love of music permeate this novel that begins in Germany in 1904 and ends in Missouri in 2009.
Gone Girl
Gone Girl: A Novel
by Gillian Flynn
Gone Girl (1/27/2013)
From the moment Nick announces he has lied 10 times, you will wonder! When did he lie? Is he telling you a lie now? Is Amy telling the truth? Is Amy really dead? Has she been kidnapped? By whom? Who is the “bad guy? Amy? Nick? Go? Maribeth and Rand? Anyone of a several …more
The Kashmir Shawl
The Kashmir Shawl: A Novel
by Rosie Thomas
A great story and great writing (1/15/2013)
I loved this book. The writing is gorgeous. I found myself rereading passages to savor the words. That is, until I got caught up in the story! Now I am planning to reread the book so I can appreciate the writing skill that is so evident.
The characters are real. The …more
The World Without You
The World Without You: A Novel
by Joshua Henkin
The World Without You (1/7/2013)
Henkin, as in MATRIMONY his first book, is a wonderful writer. Unfortunately, I don’t know ANY of his characters. But more importantly, I don’t WANT to know them. The father is distant, the mother is self-absorbed. Clarissa, who has turned her back on a career as a cellist, …more
In the Garden of Beasts
In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin
by Erik Larson
In the Garden of the Beasts (1/7/2013)
Lovers of history will find this a fascinating peek at Hitler’s Germany. Everyman William Dodd is made Ambassador to Germany in 1933 almost by accident. Dodd, a professor at the University of Chicago, goes to Germany with his wife, an adult daughter in the middle of a …more
The Intercept
The Intercept: A Jeremy Fisk Novel
by Dick Wolf
The Intercept (1/7/2013)
Be ready for heart pounding excitement when this novel reaches its climax. Jeremy Fisk is an NYPD detective assigned to Intelligence. His job – find out if the terrorist who attempted to hijack the airliner was nut case who was working alone or is he part of a sinister plot …more

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