This was the first book I've read of Jackson's and I'll be looking for more. Great characters and a good story.

Tremaine us one of my favorite authors. She digs in deep with her characters and we live their troubles, thoughts, and triumphs. Exquisite reading to lose yourself in.

"Mercies in Disguise" was very interesting and quick to read. I enjoy medical mysteries, and Kolata's writing kept me interested all the way though. What would make this book a '5' for me is deeper characterization of a few of the main characters. Kolata did a great job of explaining genetics and the family's illness; her writing is easy to understand and should be accessible to most.

This book was okay...I was hoping for a stunner. It wasn't engossing in the beginning, the middle seemed to flow very well, and the end dragged on. Especially in the beginning, I think each short chapter needed more tie-ins to other characters, as I seemed to become lost and confused rather easily.

"The Children" is captivating from the beginning. Leary writes in a conversational style from the point of view of the main character. She does a great job making the characters known through Lottie's voice. However, very near the end of the book, a crisis occurs to unsettle the family. Something had to happen, but the situation seemed out of place and not believable based on the lead up to that point. I'd recommend it though, still a good summer read.

If you've had a deep connection with an animal, you might like this book. It is true, fanciful, sad, magical, and overwhelming. It's still with me.

I was enthralled with Irina Reyn's writing on the first page, and she keeps it up. Her writing draws you in, and fully describes the characters and scenes.

This is a story of a Russian immigrant who is an art dealer, interwoven with the story of Catherine the Great. Reyn draws many parallels between the two women. There are a number of themes underlying the stories, but Reyn doesn't beat you over the head with them. If you pick them up, good. But if not, you're still enjoying some great writing.

The only place this book faltered for me was about halfway through Tanya's story.

I enjoyed this book. Having worked with Alzheimer's patients in acute care, I found Hepworth's descriptions and portrayal of moral dilemmas to be accurate. How do we define mental competency? If you can't drive a car or keep a checkbook, does that mean you have no power over anything in your life? In our medical culture, too often it does. There are caring professionals out there like Eve and Rosie, but not enough of them, and there are too many rules getting in the way. This deserves discussion...looking forward to the Book Browse discussion coming up at the end of February!

Well written, stark description of the author's life growing up in a polygamy community. I did have to put it down for a few days in the middle of the book as it was indeed disturbing and very sad to think children can be raised this way. The author had done enough foreshadowing that I was distressed thinking about what was likely to happen. I expect I will be thinking about this book for a long time. A few quibbles: the book title doesn't fit for me. It reminds me of Lucinda Williams' song "Car Wheels on a gravel road" with the same sort of feeling, but the author mostly describes the sound of boot steps on the floor as being ominous for her, at least that's what I remember. And I was surprised that Matt (spoiler alert!) told his wife there would be a 50/50 chance of him taking a second wife...I would have liked to known more about what he was thinking, and I don't think his character as written led me to think that was even an option he would think about. All in all, a tremendous and brave book.

I read this book quickly, even while trying to slow down to make it last. Very captivating. I enjoy historical fiction, and the setting of Paris and the art world of circa-1900 was well done. I felt completely immersed with the main character as she changed over the course of the book. The author very smoothly transitions from the character's past life into a middle place, somewhere between what was real for her and what she attributes to supernatural causes. There are many book out there now about magic and the supernatural; this is well done. I'll be looking for more of M.J. Rose's books.

The first two chapters really grabbed me; interesting premise, and great writing. But the characters never really developed; I didn't feel like I saw into their personality other than what was on the surface and their main reason for being in the book. The writing became disappointing as well, and inconsistent. Some well written stretches. I'm not a knitpicker and usually ignore odd phrases, but there was one near the beginning (page 8) describing "oiled rocket leaves"...I moved on at first, but then it began to bug me...what on earth are oiled rocket leaves? And I finally remembered rocket is a salad green; rather obscure though, and doesn't add anything to the scene.

This is a well-written, stunning book that altered what I believed about PTSD. In addition to the author's personal experience, the topic is well-researched. The source list runs the gamut from scientific and medical research to journalism, social media and literature. Anyone who knows someone with PTSD or works in any healthcare related field would benefit from reading this book. It's not for the easily offended, though. McClellan writes with a sharp pen, cutting and to the point, and is up front with what she feels are her personal failures as well as the criticism she received about her writings. A very honest and courageous book that will challenge your beliefs about PTSD. I would have liked to see her explain the rape she saw that triggered her PTSD, but it is easy enough to piece together the basics from reading her articles available online that are referenced in the book's Source list.