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Reviews by Beth B. (New Wilmington, PA)

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Actress
by Anne Enright
Not "Marvellous" (10/26/2019)
Anne Enright's novel, Actress, sparked my interest in the first pages, but, sadly that first impression was not sustained. The two main characters are mother, actress Katherine, and daughter, Norah. Memories concerning their relationship and circle of friends rambled allmore
The Big Finish
by Brooke Fossey
With Age Comes Wisdom and Surprises (9/27/2019)
Life is indeed a journey, easier for some than for others.
First, the author has a lively grip on the foibles of aging.and the importance of maintaining one's sense of humor as the days march on. Second, this is largely shallow in plot and characterization. Third, if one ismore
You Were There Too
by Colleen Oakley
Circles of Time and Love (8/4/2019)
A proverb: Dreams are wishes made by the heart.

I wish I had liked YOU WERE THERE TOO. The prologue was filled with copious sensory images and I was drawn in with the intriguing "It's Him." Sadly, the novel did not deliver all that I felt the author was aiming for. Theremore
Nothing to See Here
by Kevin Wilson
Foundation Building for Beginners (6/4/2019)
KEVIN.WILSON.IS.AN.INGENIOUS.AUTHOR. Imagine the creativity involved in blending an implausible plot, ten characters (three children, six so-called adults), spontaneous combustion, and truth vs. sham into a wise and wonderful novel. Contrary to its title (Nothing to Seemore
More News Tomorrow: A Novel
by Susan Richards Shreve
More News Tomorrow: Re-enactment of Pandora's Box (3/29/2019)
Frequently disjointed, Susan Shreve's novel, More News Tomorrow, was difficult to follow. Redeeming qualities were the prose that often popped and the wisdom expressed by Georgianna and Thomas about memory and fear and truth. Mother and grandmother, Georgianna plans a tripmore
Setting Free the Kites
by Alex George
The Genius of Alex George (1/25/2019)
There are not enough adjectives to describe this most intriguing book --- it definitely ranks as 10 stars. George is an amazing storyteller and displays his mastery of melodious prose. I would like to tell the author face-to-face what an impact he has made. I wouldmore
The Last Romantics
by Tara Conklin
A Masterpiece (12/1/2018)
I would rate The Last Romantics as a 10 if I could. Please give this book to yourself and everyone you know --- it's that terrific!! Devour it as you would a scrumptious crème brulee.

The four Skinner siblings are the heart and that heart beats through the years with secrets,more
The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls
by Anissa Gray
Devour This Book (10/3/2018)
There's a lot to consume and digest in The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by Anissa Gray. This is a novel rich in characters, wisdom, relationships, and family dynamics. History definitely repeats itself throughout the generations' stories. Inherent are themore
A Ladder to the Sky: A Novel
by John Boyne
Engrossing Case Study (9/3/2018)
John Boyne is a masterful writer and with A Ladder to the Sky, has created a saga of one man's life -- from a beautiful young man to an alcoholic with self-realization of what his "natural state" is. Maurice is consumed with ambition, a man who allows himself to become amore
Paris Echo
by Sebastian Faulks
Disappointing historical fiction (8/4/2018)
As much as I wanted to become immersed, I was very disappointed in this wandering novel. The stories of the main characters were disjointed and filled with much too much detail about the city and not enough about their backstories. The parents of the American historian saidmore
The Devoted
by Blair Hurley
Dangerous Devotion (5/11/2018)
Enter the world of extremely impressionable Nicole Hennessy and find yourself in an environment of uncertainty, one in which not a single character is happy. Nicole, her brother, her mother, her Zen master, acquaintances, are all in search of an elusive "something." Nothingmore
A Place for Us
by Fatima Farheen Mirza
A Place for Us --- a jewel of a book (3/16/2018)
Clearly one of the best books I've ever read for a wide spectrum of reasons. Fatima Farheen Mirza has given us a bird's eye view inside family dynamics that demonstrates sibling and parental relationships, gender, birth order, secrets revealed and withheld, guilt, andmore
Motherhood
by Sheila Heti
To be or not to be ---- Motherhood (1/30/2018)
Not an enjoyable read by any means. More a wrestling match between fulfillment, status, respect, fear, values, expectations, independence, "normal", convention. Is not having a child akin to being a draft dodger? What is acting vs. being yourself? Am I a vessel? Does havingmore
Other People's Houses
by Abbi Waxman
Other People's Houses --- a jog through a neighborhood (12/3/2017)
Open the book to a Cast of Characters and a Map of the Neighborhood. Fasten your seat belt as you are given the rare opportunity to see what goes on behind those lovely wreath-decorated doors. Author Abbi Waxman has vividly portrayed husband/wife, parent/child, sibling/more
As Bright as Heaven
by Susan Meissner
The Heart Does What It Must (9/28/2017)
Susan Meissner has written a GEM of a book! Her insight into destiny, fate, powerlessness, and coping mechanisms link the interwoven individual and collective goodbyes in the saga of the Bright family in Philadelphia. Memories and echoes connect three sisters and theirmore
The Resurrection of Joan Ashby
by Cherise Wolas
Beyond amazing (9/25/2017)
The Resurrection of Joan Ashby MUST win literary awards and millions of accolades from readers who have been swept away by this debut novel. The technique of stories within stories is so seamlessly skillful that I'm in awe. Wisdom of motherhood, marriage, creativity, andmore
Young Jane Young
by Gabrielle Zevin
Choose Your Own Adventure (7/13/2017)
Who is Jane Young --- really? Readers come to know and admire her through the author's incredible talent for weaving wisdom and wit from beginning to end. SECRETS, DECISIONS, CONSEQUENCES abound in this novel I couldn't recommend more highly. I want everyone to immersemore
Extraordinary Adventures
by Daniel Wallace
Extraordinary Adventures -- one person's journey toward self-understanding (2/2/2017)
It all starts with a phone call and in the 300 pages that follow we learn about 34-year old Edsel Bronfman as he learns about himself. He has 79 days to respond to an invitation and in that time he endears himself to us as he develops his wings. (One of the best stories-more
The Half Wives
by Stacia Pelletier
The Half Wives by Stacia Pelletier (12/31/2016)
This novel is magnificent! You would have to be heartless to not love this book. Proof of my admiration for the author's skills is evidenced by many notes and turned-down corners -- sentences that demonstrate wisdom, poignancy, and well chosen words. Although set in 1897more
Edgar and Lucy
by Victor Lodato
Edgar and Lucy (11/18/2016)
Sigh. That's the sound of this reader's awe. It's the sound of contentment, the sound of sadness. Contentment and awe at the writer's skill with words and plot, sadness that the final word has been read.
Edgar and Lucy by Victor Caduto is a novel everyone MUST read. A storymore
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