The September House
by Carissa Orlando
Run! (5/11/2023)
I usually can suspend my disbelief in horror books, movies etc. but The September House was so ridiculous and out of anyone's realm of belief it was impossible. Margaret, Hal and their daughter Katherine buy their dream house that is haunted by various pranksters who "appear" to Margaret but no-one else. Margaret's husband Hal eventually disappears and Katherine comes home to investigate. If the book wasn't crazy enough already, now September coincides with Katherine's visit and the bizarre escalates. There are bleeding walls, exorcisms, hundreds of birds flying into windows, a basement with an unnamed killer to name a few. If one wanted to read a book of pure horror with no redeeming premise I suppose this would be ok- as a book club pick it would be a very poor choice. Basically there is nothing to discuss.
The Last Russian Doll
by Kristen Loesch
Dolls in Pieces (10/14/2022)
I only gave this book a 3 because I thought it was terribly disjointed. The sprawling love story between Valentin and Tonya never quite gelled. This novel takes place between 1919 and 1991 alternating between three generations of women in Russia and the US. All the women have witnessed murders and have siblings that seem to be added without the reader realizing it. The reader does not find out until the end that there were two doll makers- Alexey and his brother Eduard. I also did not realize that Kadya's brother Mischa was the Mikhail that was Viktoria's son-in-law. This book definitely needs a list of characters in the beginning that can be used for reference. I read this book twice and still found it confusing. The only reason it might be good for book clubs is that you would have a group to dissect it and perhaps make sense of it. It is impossible to give a review of this book without discussing the convoluted plot and characters eg Lena, Dmitry, Natalya,, Kukola, Rosie and Lev to name a few. Using the dolls as clues was a unique twist, but too little to save the book.
The Last Grand Duchess: A Novel of Olga Romanov, Imperial Russia, and Revolution
by Bryn Turnbull
The Fierce Defender (12/9/2021)
I thought this was a mesmerizing betrayal of the Grand Duchess Olga. More it seems has been written about her sister Anastasia- most likely because of the rumors that she survived. I loved the way the author intertwined the evolution of the Russian revolution with the ordinary day to day lives of Olga and her family. Olga was a fierce defender of her Russian heritage and her feeling of great duty to the Russian people. This was sorely tested when Rasputin's involvement with the tsar and tsarina threatened everything she had believed in. Her young life was full with the introduction of new love, nursing the injured Russian soldiers, caring for her ailing mother, and protector of her sisters. One can only wonder what life would have offered her and the world if she had lived.
The Fields: A Novel
by Erin Young
Too Many Plots (10/27/2021)
This crime/mystery debut is not one novel it is many. There are so many plots within subplots it became very confusing. Out protagonist is young Riley Fisher newly promoted head of investigations for the Sheriff's office in Iowa. Her first case is the heinous murder of her good friend left to die in a Iowa cornfield. This leads to several other cases involving her niece, her brother, the two governors running for office, the candidate's sister, drug dealing, farm co-ops versus big Ag and Riley's nemesis Hunter who supposedly raped her when she was young. This sub plot was never fully developed and I assume it might be in the next book of the series Erin Young is planning. The author tried very hard to connect all the people in the book within all the sub plots and to tie everything together at the end, but I think it was an impossible task.
The Widow Queen: The Bold #1
by Elzbieta Cherezinska
The Polish Ken Follett (11/17/2020)
My goodness what a fantastic saga! Although I am of 100 percent Polish ancestry, I learned so much history from this sprawling novel. The interplay of the Polish, Swedish, English, Norwegian, and Danish kingdoms was fascinating. I enjoyed the allure of the main protagonist Swietoslawa who ruled her subjects, including her husbands, with unmistakable aplomb. I am looking forward to reading the next installment of what will be an unforgettable passage into Polish history.
The In-Betweens: The Spiritualists, Mediums, and Legends of Camp Etna
by Mira Ptacin
:::;;; (10/17/2019)
I don't think I have ever read a book that used so many colons and semi-colons. I got so overwhelmed by her questionable writing style that I had trouble enjoying what the author was trying to say. She definitely needs a new editor. I did find the history of spiritualism and Camp Etna somewhat interesting, but again the author's transitions were dubious. I would have enjoyed more personal experiences that some of her protagonists had- such as Karlene's assertion that she could see inside people before they even had their MRI ?? I would not recommend this book to others. It really goes around in circles and leaves the reader needing a "medium".
The Seine: The River that Made Paris
by Elaine Sciolino
A River For Everyone (9/18/2019)
What a marvelous history of a river and the people it touched through the centuries. I not only learned about a river and how it changed, but the effect it had on a lot of famous actors, painters, farmers, wars, industrialization, and ordinary Parisians. This a a very well researched book and beautifully written. I liked how she divided the chapters into the history and the uses of the river from its beginnings with the goddess Sequana to its future development and plans. I live on the banks of the great Mississippi and I look at it now with a yearning to travel its route and also learn its magnificent history.
Never Have I Ever
by Joshilyn Jackson
Never Have I Ever Read A Book Like This (5/1/2019)
I'm not sure where to start. The two main protagonists in this novel have no redeeming qualities that I could ascertain. They are both very self serving, narcissistic individuals living the life their many lies have created. The author tried to tie together robbery, child abduction, lying, infidelity, child abuse, divorce, fraud, and why not throw in an eating disorder!! There were also inconsistencies. Also very predictable. I suppose you could get some good discussion out of this book just talking about how ridiculous it was.
The Last Romantics
by Tara Conklin
Where is Romance (12/13/2018)
This novel had so many different aspects to it. Told from the voice of Fiona , one of the four Skinner siblings, their interactions pull us into their diverse worlds. They certainly depend on each other, which begins when their mother went through her "pause". Throughout this time their brother Joe becomes their hero and a lasting thread holding them together. However, their solidarity is extremely tested when Joe has drug problems and eventually dies. Fiona seems on a quest her entire life for the love she was seeking and starts a blog to find her answers. I wish the author had not veered into the direction of Fiona's blog. It reminded me too much of "Sex and the City" which belittled Fiona's talent. There is a huge question at the end of this novel which would certainly keep a book club busy discussing. The lives of Caroline and Renee, Fiona's two sisters, are also integral to the story and not to be dismissed.
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