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Reviews by Andrea B. (Pleasant Prairie, WI)

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Cutting For Stone
by Abraham Verghese
One of my favorite books (3/13/2018)
This book is fantastic!
Happiness: The Crooked Little Road to Semi-Ever After
by Heather Harpham
Life Rarely Travels in a Straight Line (7/15/2017)
Heather's life was relatively mundane at the beginning of this novel. She had steady income, was in a committed relationship with Brian, and had plans for the future. Those plans and her life were radically changed when she became pregnant.
I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and was interested in what happened to them. Medical issues and the ethical decisions that were raised were seamlessly woven into the storyline. I loved this book!
The Resurrection of Joan Ashby
by Cherise Wolas
Food for the Reader's Soul (7/15/2017)
Joan is a celebrated young writer who has a passion for words. She just published a second collection of short stories and is working on her first novel when she falls in love. Joan does not plan to get married or have kids because she wants nothing in her life that will take time away from writing. Best laid plans...
Wolas' writing is fabulous! She obviously loves words as much as Joan because her word choice is exquisite. The characters are well-developed in all of their glory and foibles. This book is definitely a feast for book lovers.
Our Short History
by Lauren Grodstein
Surprisingly Enjoyable (4/16/2017)
When I read the description of the book, I did not know if I even wanted to start it. This book is basically a mother's long goodbye to her son, with whom she had a short history. She is dying and is putting down her words of wisdom for her son to read when she is gone. This premise has been used by authors several times - do we really need another book like this?

Yes! There was something special about this book that immediately engaged me but I was never able to put my finger on it. Maybe it was my recent visit to Mercer Island that lent familiarity to the beginning of the story. Maybe it is that I am a cancer survivor, but if anything, having fought cancer made me reluctant to read it.

I may never know specifically why I loved this book, only that I did and I hope you enjoy it too.
The Well
by Catherine Chanter
Surprisingly good (4/26/2015)
When I started the book, I read the first chapter and thought it would be a struggle to finish it. Boy was I wrong! I was pulled in by the plot and also because I really felt connected with the characters, especially Ruth. This is a character-study/mystery/supernatural novel with a storyline that keeps you engaged to the very end. Readers who enjoy dystopian novels and writers like Margaret Atwood will love this book!
The Same Sky
by Amanda Eyre Ward
Highly recommended (12/14/2014)
This is the first book by Amanda Eyre Ward I've read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The chapters alternate between Alice, a Texas woman who aches to be a mother, and Carla, an 11-year-old who cares for her younger brother in the poverty of Honduras. Both seek something better in life, whether it is a child or life in America with her mother. By the end of the book I was wrapped-up in whether Alice and Carla would succeed and be happy.

This book is worthy of your time and will stay with you long after you read the last page.
Some Luck
by Jane Smiley
Multi-generational saga (10/23/2014)
This is the first book I've read by Ms. Smiley and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The story follows Rosanna and Walter Langdon and their three children on their farm in Iowa. The Great Depression, drought and wars pull the family in various directions. I anxiously await the next two books of this trilogy to see what awaits the Langdons.
The Arsonist: A novel
by Sue Miller
I wanted to like this book (9/3/2014)
When I read the blurb on the back of the book I was intrigued and looked forward to diving into it. By the time I was a third of the way in I was wondering when the story was going to start. Too much of the beginning was spent in character development. When the plot line finally got going, I didn't care.
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