Flower Gardeners, this book is for you! Those of you who have not only nodding acquaintance but probably speaking acquaintance as well with all the individual flower "characters" present in these pages will be delighted. There is a plot revolving around a gardening contest and the neighborhood psychopath who is determined to maintain her esteemed position at all costs. The rather weak plot is vastly overshadowed by the beauty of the author's word pictures. A fun read for all who love flowers, even when one doesn't know them by name.

Ben, Maddy and their children, their own parents, in-laws and siblings are like the family next door, folks I have known for years. Although I knew the love shared, I was apprehensive of underlying weaknesses and then was a witness to the shattering of that family and feared for its recovery. The characters are so well written, so well developed, I nearly forgot it was fiction and grieved for all, especially for Emma, the teen who was forced to try to hold the family together. Some novels I read, enjoy and forget. Accidents of Marriage will be in my thoughts for a long time.

Daisy Goodwin serves up a slice of history presented by characters so alive they can neither be overlooked nor forgotten. The mind-set of the 19th century, its customs and levels of society, the clothing, food, manner of speech, vocabulary are so skillfully combined, the 21st century can seamlessly slip away and the reader falls easily into that earlier age where royalty and its observations flourish, where behavior and occupation are often by royal commend and personal desires are conflicted. It is hard to avoid empathy for Elizabeth, the Empress and Captain Middleton, a suspected fortune hunter, assigned to her for her safety, as each struggles with the sacrifices that must be made.

The best way for me to be informed is to read fiction based on real lives, real events. This is what I gained from In Praise of Hatred. I felt no connection to the characters portrayed but the novel clarified the violence in the Middle East, let me see the hatred of the dictatorship's campaign against the Muslim Brotherhood , witness the changing life of a young secluded Muslim girl as she is tossed into the social and political chaos of the world outside the protection of the family walls. It is a powerful awakening.

I wish Amy lived nearby! and regret she is fictional. We could have great times. I had to keep turning pages as quickly as I could - I really wanted to know what she did next. The writing was exceptional and the humor dry and delightful. A reader would do well to have a real space of time to read before even meeting Amy!

Ahmad's The Caretaker, is a page-turner. The main character is well-portrayed but others are much less memorable. The action moves the plot right along – Not a novel long remembered but it can keep the reader guessing and reading for the next action - the next, then the next and then the next. Plan to have time to read this one - you won't want to put it down.

Close My Eyes kept me from all activity other than turning pages because I was totally absorbed in the action of the plot and its twists and turns. In the end, just as I was drawing a relaxed breath, I was "blown away". No fair checking the end first – you need to experience the suspense to fully appreciate McKennzie's talent. This is one of the best books I have read in a long time – just don't start reading unless you have the time to keep reading until the very end!

The novel is very well crafted and is graced with some ideas that encourage deeper thought. However, it is not by any means a "thriller" and the characters never become real. They are cardboard cutouts caused partially perhaps by the use of a nickname for each. With the use then of the proper name, the flow of concentration is interrupted, confusion results and the character remains just a character. While it is interesting to see what happens to each, it really doesn't matter. There is very little connection between the reader and the character.

Ever been at a gathering where you knew no one nor were familiar with their privileged lifestyles?
But you decided to stick it out for a time anyway. This is how the beginning of INDISCRETION felt – not easy to get started. Yet as in life we usually (and if you continued reading) adjust and find that in this crowd of strangers, some quickly became familiar. It was thus with Walter and Claire, Maddy and Harry. Once we slipped into their lives, their problems, their highs and lows were understandable. Depending on your own life experiences, one person may stand out, become an individual you won't forget long after the story ends. Through the skill of the writer, these seem to be real "people" with real lives. You will care and this novel will tug at your heart.

In this spy catcher novel, Matthew Dunn demonstrates that he is very knowledgeable about all things military, undercover missions and the dangers that accompany them He so portrays with careful precision the place and the dangers that Will and others are in, that the reader is able, sometimes with bated breath, to be right behind them in the snow. Don’t be amazed if certain portions of the novel have you not only a little anxious but even frightened for the safety of the hero. That’s what is supposed to happen. I find it hard to get into a book and feel that although I am following the hero through awful dangers I don’t really know him. This was for me the one flaw. Be sure, however, that you have the time to read undisturbed to the very end. Stopping part way to eat or go to bed or to work is very hard.

The Innocents shows meticulous research, and good grammar (always a sticking point for me). The second element I look for – strong vocabulary and interesting characters. While I thought The Innocents beautifully written, for me at least one character has to be one I can “know” and care about. I must hear him or her speaking to me from the pages and make me a little anxious to discover the how and when and why of that character’s life. Then I can’t stop turning page after page! I did not find that character here. I look forward to Segals’s next book and finding a "live" character and all that will make me love it.

I loved Clementine from the very first page. I had been a little apprehensive knowing that this charming girl was sick enough to commit suicide. Initially I did think it was her illness that was prompting her to wrap up the loose ends of her life. While she made me laugh as she got rid of that tea set, deliberately punished the driver who left his car in the way and dumped her meds (I cheered at that) but I was so entranced, was so much a part of this woman’s life that I wept as she had to find a new home for her cat. I truly forgot that I was reading fiction so skillfully was I taken from laughter to an aching sympathy and to tears .I think Clementine is one of those literary personalities I will never forget and I have been reading and meeting characters for over 70 years. This is a very special piece of work to fit into that category.