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Reviews by Becky H

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The Lace Reader
by Brunonia Barry

Still don't know what lace reading is (12/26/2012)

The Lace Reader begins with an interesting premise, but quickly bogs down in fairly incomprehensible detail of lace reading. Towner is a beguiling character whose personality unfolds as the tale is revealed. She was what kept me reading. The “lace reading” of the title was …more

The Racketeer
by John Grisham

Dealing with the feds is challenging (12/17/2012)

This vintage Grisham mystery will appeal to fans and new readers as well. The Racketeer is the tale of an innocent (and now former) lawyer who is out to redeem himself by squealing on a murderer and thief. The main character, Malcolm Bannister, posits a scheme to the FBI to …more

Sweet Tooth: A Novel
by Ian McEwan

The spy story that isn't (12/8/2012)

In Sweet Tooth Ian McEwan has used lots of lovely words and strung them together in lots of lovely ways. Unfortunately this does not make a lovely story. It is in many ways a deadly bore. To say that Sweet Tooth is tedious is an understatement. There are too many incidental …more characters and incidents that have no relevance to the story as red herring or plot line or character development. Perhaps what McEwan really wrote was a very good short story when what he (or his publisher) wanted was a novel. Is the writing good? Yes. Does that make me like this book? No. I finished the book, but I didn’t enjoy it. This is the first Ian McEwan book I have read. I doubt I will read another.
This novel may have been a very good short mystery or short romance. It just doesn’t work as a longer novel. The main character – Serena Fromme – is, to put it quite bluntly, an unlikeable twit. Unfortunately for the reader she is surrounded by more unlikeable twits, self-absorbed males, pompous asses and other assorted denizens of Cold War London. Unlike Serena I actually enjoy the process of reading. I like to savor the characters, imagine the outcome of the plot, thrill at the word usage and become involved with the unfolding of the story. The one character I DID like was Shirley. I wanted to know more about her – why she left MI5, how she came to become a successful beauty, why she made such a generous offer to Serena, her interactions with Max and Tom….. Yet Shirley was given little to do except tie up loose ends in a most unsatisfactory manner.
I found some of the structural parts of the book to be annoying. First I HATED the occasional italic phrases. They were simply a distraction. I also found the insertion of Tom’s current works annoying. They were too long and detailed. Although both of these were explained in the last chapter, it did not help me in the actual reading enjoyment of the book.
I have thought about recommending Sweet Tooth to another. First, no one should ever recommend a book without first reading it cover to cover. In recommending this book I would feel compelled to state why I didn’t like it. Secondly, I would only recommend this book to someone who was also a voracious reader and one who was willing to devote many pages before disbanding reading. Thirdly, I would NOT say this was a spy novel, or a romance, but instead present Sweet Tooth as a demonstration of literary devices.
I might toss Sweet Tooth into the mix of possible book group choices (we usually choose our 10-12 books from a group of 20-24 books recommended by members who have already read them). We have chosen books in the past that were only lukewarm in their recommendation. It often makes an interesting discussion as members tell why and what they didn’t like and how they might have changed the book. (less)

Safekeeping
by Karen Hesse

There is always hope (9/12/2012)

The pictures are lovely, the story is at first depressing, but then hopeful. After the president is assassinated and a splinter - almost terrorist group - takes over the USA, a teenager returns home to discover her parents missing. With no money and on the run from the " …more

The Light Between Oceans: A Novel
by Margot L. Stedman

The Light Between the Oceans (9/1/2012)

A beautifully written tale that uses description to draw the feel of island and mainland, love and depression, fear and deceit. The dread, confusion and fear of a mother torn from her child and a child torn from her mother will stay with you long after you finish the final …more

The Baker's Daughter: A Novel
by Sarah McCoy

The Baker's Daughter (8/28/2012)

A "feel good" newspaper feature is the link between the horrors of Germany during WWII and two women with secrets in present day El Paso, Texas. Both women's stories are compelling in themselves and as their lives intersect over the delicacies wrought by one and eaten with …more

The Pigeon Pie Mystery: A Novel
by Julia Stuart

The Pigeon Pie Mystery (8/28/2012)

What a lovely book! I enjoyed the descriptions of life in a "grace and favor" residence during the time of Queen Victoria. The characters are delightful and the mystery intriguing. The only thing I thought lacking was the "romance" of Mink, the main character. I was glad to …more

Broken Harbor: A Novel
by Tana French

This one kept me guessing (8/11/2012)

This book is peopled with interesting characters that grow on you and with the plot. A bit draggy in some spots, but well written and riveting as the plot progresses. Some points for discussion are the detective's comments that "murder victims get what they were looking for" …more

Defending Jacob: A Novel
by William Landay

Boring beginning and middle (5/26/2012)

I almost quit reading this book several times, only the glowing reviews kept me going. The first 3/4 of the book had me wondering why anyone would think this whiney, self-serving and self deluded man would be a good ADA. Jacob and Laurie were simply afterthoughts. Only the …more

The Age of Miracles: A Novel
by Karen Thompson Walker

A YA book for adults? (5/20/2012)

As a former 4 - 12 school librarian I was intrigued by this novel that follows a middle schooler - Julia - and how the changes, both internal (she is growing up) and external (the world's rotation is slowing down), affect her actions and reactions to her life, her friends …more

The Dressmaker: A Novel
by Kate Alcott

Aftermath of a disaster (4/23/2012)

The Dressmaker follows the life of Lady Duff-Gordon (real person) and her "maid/dressmaker" Tess Collins (based on a real person) after the sinking of the Titanic. I found the parts relating to the hearings and the dressmaking/couture business most informative and …more

The Lifeboat: A Novel
by Charlotte Rogan

afloat and drifting (3/31/2012)

This book held my attention simply because I needed to know who survived and who didn't as well as the back story of Grace Winter. The book is well written with believable characters and a growing sense of the horror of the situation on the lifeboat. Unfortunately many …more

The House of Velvet and Glass: A Novel
by Katherine Howe

an upper class look at the early 20th century (3/3/2012)

I really enjoyed this book. After a slow start and getting used to the jumps in place and time, I found House of Velvet and Glass to be a compelling look at the early 20th century. A book group would find the drug use (opium), the early psychology/sociology instances, the …more

Arcadia: A Novel
by Lauren Groff

The 60's were better than this book (12/6/2011)

I really wanted to like this book. I tried very hard to like it. I just couldn't. I didn't like the characters. I didn't like the lack of quotation marks. I didn't like Arcadia house or most of its inhabitants. I found it really irritating that Hannah was depressed (maybe) …more

The Sweetness of Tears: A Novel
by Nafisa Haji

great book club book (2/27/2011)

I laughed and cried my way through The Sweetness of Tears. Jo, the main character, is a young woman who discovers an evolving family and encounters both Christian and Muslim societies in far flung corners of the world as she delves into family secrets in a search for her …more

The Mysterious Howling: The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, Book I
by Maryrose Wood

I loved this book! (2/3/2011)

I received this book as an ARC some time ago and found it delightful. I laughed out loud and yet was moved almost to tears. I am a retired children's librarian and I most heartily recommend this book to all the children and adults who loved Mary Poppins and Daddy Long Legs …more

Gone Tomorrow: A Jack Reacher Novel #13
by Lee Child

Read the first book in the series before this one (10/8/2010)

I spent the first 100 pages (540 pages total) wondering why an apparently homeless man had apparently unlimited funds to buy new clothing and various train, bus and metro tickets along with meals and hotels. I spent the second hundred pages trying to keep all the convoluted …more

Man in the Woods
by Scott Spencer

Thriller?, Not So Much (7/11/2010)

I really liked, maybe even loved, the writing. I liked the author's pacing, his sentence structure and his word usage. I liked the characters and that you really got to know them (except Ruby who always seemed a mystery both to me and to the writer).
What I didn't like was …more

Ten Minutes from Home: A Memoir
by Beth Greenfield

fascinating, but depressing (5/1/2010)

I almost quit reading this book detailing the searing grief when the author's brother and best friend are killed in a car accident. It was overwhelming to read the devastation of the loss in her family. I could only read in small snatches, although there was something …more

Still Life: Adventures in Taxidermy
by Melissa Milgrom

interesting but flawed (12/29/2009)

I really wanted to like this book. The people discussed were interesting. The topic of taxidermy is so odd that it in itself is interesting. The references to the Smithsonian, historical museum exhibitions and dioramas were compelling. (I'm a docent at a well known history …more

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