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Reviews by Priscilla M. (Houston, TX)

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The Travelling Cat Chronicles
The Travelling Cat Chronicles
by Hiro Arikawa, Philip Gabriel
Bittersweet tale of friendship (5/14/2018)
I knew when I started this book that I would probably be in tears at some point in time. I have always had a cat or two and recognized many of the character traits in the main feline character, Nana. His wry, sometimes self-serving view of life, humans, dogs, and friendship …more
The Girl Who Smiled Beads
The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After
by Elizabeth Weil, Clemantine Wamariya
In search of self in the midst of war (2/13/2018)
This searing and personal account of the war in Rwanda reveals much more than just a war-torn, conflicted country. It told the story of a child who lost her family, her identity, and her childhood. For six years Clemantine and her sister Claire moved from one refugee camp …more
Our Lady of the Prairie
Our Lady of the Prairie
by Thisbe Nissen
A whirlwind of a story (11/1/2017)
I have to admit that it took me a while to get into this book. The author relates every thought that passes through the main character's head. Phillipa is constantly thinking, weighing, supposing, and imagining. It must be exhausting to be Phillipa. Having said that, the …more
Never Coming Back
Never Coming Back
by Alison McGhee
A straight to the heart read... (9/15/2017)
Words loom large in this story, words in books, song lyrics, and in recalled conversations, yet the author writes sparingly, drawing the plot out slowly, adding layer after layer. The story is both simple and complicated because that's how real life is. Clara Winter has …more
The Almost Sisters
The Almost Sisters
by Joshilyn Jackson
Outstanding read! (5/14/2017)
Life can be complicated, messy, and amazing. Add that to life in a small Southern town, and you have all the ingredients for a riveting story. The social hierarchies, the thinly veiled prejudice, and the clan-like family loyalties are revealed with humor and love. The main …more
The Book of Summer
The Book of Summer
by Michelle Gable
A compelling read (3/9/2017)
I have been always been a fan of books about close-knit communities, and this story about a Nantucket beach town fits the bill. The story spans several generations, from pre-WWII to the present. The narrative switches back and forth during the years by way of a guest book …more
The Essex Serpent
The Essex Serpent
by Sarah Perry
A hugely entertaining read! (2/15/2017)
The Essex Serpent has something for every reader. It is a melange of mystery, historical fiction, love story, and Victorian period piece. The characters are complex yet engaging, and the reader is easily swept up into their struggles and triumphs. I found myself rooting for …more
Before the War
Before the War
by Fay Weldon
A mixed bag (11/1/2016)
As character driven as I usually am, I find it hard to admit that I enjoyed a book whose characters were, as a whole, unlikable. The book, Before the War, is narrated, rather than told from one character's point of view, and that device was a bit off-putting in the …more
North of Crazy
North of Crazy: A Memoir
by Neltje
Money can't buy happiness... (6/10/2016)
North of Crazy was not an easy read for several reasons. The setting, moving between a plantation and the East coast, sounded almost like something out of the Great Gatsby era, with incredibly wealthy lifestyles and very unhappy people. Neltje was born into a life of …more
The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper
The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper
by Phaedra Patrick
Utterly charming story... (3/30/2016)
There's just no way to not say that The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper is totally and utterly charming. Arthur Pepper has spent a year of his life mourning the death of his wife. After spending that year locked in grief and mind-numbing routine tasks, he marks the …more
The Sound of Gravel
The Sound of Gravel: A Memoir
by Ruth Wariner
A story of triumph over circumstances (11/15/2015)
This was a very personal account of a difficult, hardscrabble childhood spent in a polygamist community in Mexico. As a woman, it was hard for me to read about a life of being subjected to the whims of a husband and a church whose beliefs include multiple wives, as many …more
Broken Promise
Broken Promise: A Thriller
by Linwood Barclay
An eminently readable mystery (7/15/2015)
Broken Promise is the first book I have read by Linwood Barclay, but it won"t be the last. I have always been more than a little character driven in my reading choices, and this author creates true to life, two-dimensional people. Real people are rarely all good or all bad, …more
A Good Family
A Good Family
by Erik Fassnacht
Great debut book (5/6/2015)
This was an excellent book! When I first started reading, I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy bumbling but ever hopeful Barkley, but it wasn't long before I was rooting for him as he tries to find a job and a girlfriend. Barkley is the youngest member of a shattered …more
The Book of Speculation
The Book of Speculation
by Erika Swyler
A story of melancholy and magic (4/4/2015)
This is a story of magic, told slowly, layer by layer, alternately between the past and the present. Simon and his sister Enola are the only surviving members of his family. Enola works in a circus telling fortunes and Simon is a librarian in a small coastal town, living in …more
Her Name Is Rose
Her Name Is Rose
by Christine Breen
Really enjoyable (2/24/2015)
I found this book to be eminently readable. The theme of love lost and found is told in the story of Iris Bowen, a widow and mother of an adopted daughter, Rose. Iris had made a promise to her dying husband that she would try to locate Rose's birth mother so that Rose would …more
The Same Sky
The Same Sky
by Amanda Eyre Ward
The Same Sky (11/4/2014)
While told in two voices, the story of Alice and Carla tells the same story, a tale of love and loss, of hopes and dreams. Alice is trying to make a life for herself and her husband that centers around starting a business and dealing with the heartbreak of infertility. …more
The Book of Strange New Things
The Book of Strange New Things: A Novel
by Michel Faber
Strange new things is an accurate description (8/31/2014)
This hefty book is less about science fiction than it is about relationships.Yes, most of the action does take place on another planet, but that is not the real focus of the book. Peter is sent to minister to the Oasans, the inhabitants of a planet being colonized …more
That Summer
That Summer
by Lauren Willig
Intriguing premise (4/8/2014)
I started reading That Summer and promptly got hooked, finishing it in just a couple of days. The story is told through the eyes of two different women, both living in the same house but in two different time periods. Julia inherits the house in England in 2009 from her …more
Glitter and Glue
Glitter and Glue: A Memoir
by Kelly Corrigan
A little more glue, perhaps? (12/1/2013)
There isn't a woman alive who does not have stories to tell about her relationship with her mother. I was prepared to sympathize with the author as she discovered through life experiences just how much of her mother she had internalized without knowing it. I know I have …more
Last Train to Istanbul
Last Train to Istanbul
by Ayse Kulin
A Story of Courage (9/13/2013)
Last Train to Istanbul is a story of courage, but not the blockbuster kind Hollywood likes to portray. It is the quiet courage of convictions born of love, patriotism, and compassion. The story unfolds slowly and thoughtfully, laying the groundwork for a satisfying …more
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