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Reviews by Marcia S. (Ackley, IA)

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In the Garden of Monsters
In the Garden of Monsters: A Novel
by Crystal King
Who is Julia? (8/7/2024)
Julia is a woman with no past. She remembers nothing! Now a model, she's hired by artist Salvador Dali and his wife Gala. The site is Italy's Garden of Monsters. The Garden has statures of the Greek Gods and Goddesses. She begins to see and feel unusual sensations, making …more
Everything We Never Knew
Everything We Never Knew: A Novel
by Julianne Hough
Not My Cup of Tea (7/14/2024)
I finished the book but it didn't draw me in and genuinely compel me to keep reading. As a Christian, I just couldn't identify with the subject matter. I felt that I was reading science fiction. I did feel some empathy for the characters and what they'd experienced in their …more
The Cleaner
The Cleaner: A Novel
by Brandi Wells
Stalking in the Shadows (2/4/2024)
What an intriguing concept for a book— the nightshift cleaning lady getting to know the employees she never sees, through her discoveries (and snooping) while cleaning the company floors and desks. It's also amazing that her behind the scene efforts actually make some …more
The Stone Home
The Stone Home: A Novel
by Crystal Hana Kim
What does one do to survive?! (11/14/2023)
It is hard for us to fathom the existance of such institutions, past or present. How does one find the strength to survive? Eunju and her mother, Umma, are imprisoned in a Korean reformatory which is actually a place of forced labor and terror. A fellow prisoner, a young …more
Migrations
Migrations: A Novel
by Charlotte McConaghy
Finding that which is lost (4/6/2020)
Imagine a world without wildlife. That is the backdrop for this unsettling story about Franny— searching to fill the holes in her life. How can she heal the feelings of loss, abandonment, and wanderlust that control her? She thought she'd found the answer with her husband, …more
Patsy
Patsy: A Novel
by Nicole Dennis-Benn
Misguided dreams (6/2/2019)
I wasn't a big fan of the main character, Patsy. She basically abandons her daughter, Tru, to join her friend (former lover) Cicely in America. Cicely has lied about her life in America and is actually married and has a child. Patsy works hard to build a life, but ignores …more
After Anna
After Anna
by Lisa Scottoline
Worth the Read (4/12/2018)
I enjoy Lisa Scottoline and this book didn't let me down. Maggie lost custody of her child, Anna, who is now 17. Anna's father and step-mother are killed in an accident and Maggie finally has the opportunity to have Anna rejoin her life. Her husband, Noah, and step-son are …more
Motherhood
Motherhood
by Sheila Heti
Don't waste your time! (2/9/2018)
I had to force myself to finish this book. It was awful. It was so depressing. The narrator and her mother were both depressed, as was the whole book! The narrator was always whining and blaming others for her lack of decisiveness about having a baby. I also hated the coin …more
All We Shall Know
All We Shall Know
by Donal Ryan
Didn't like the main character (1/17/2018)
This was an OK book but not my favorite. I just couldn't warm up to the main character, Melody Shee. I understood her need to become pregnant, but not her anger at the world. She doesn't seem willing to take responsibility for anything. I did like the ending as she seemed …more
Best Day Ever
Best Day Ever: A Psychological Thriller
by Kaira Rouda
Inside the Mind of a Narcissist (1/14/2018)
I don't think I've ever read a book in which I hated the main character, Paul Strom, yet couldn't stop reading. Little by little, the evil within this man is revealed. You can't help rooting for his wife, Mia, to escape. It's a dark book, but I liked it. I didn't give it …more
Anatomy of a Miracle
Anatomy of a Miracle
by Jonathan Miles
Anatomy of a Miracle (1/11/2018)
I found this a very thought provoking book. Cameron, who has been paralyzed for four years, suddenly rises from his wheel chair and walks. Is is a miracle? Many try to prove or disprove the validity of the occurrence. Others try to profit from it. Cameron seems baffled by …more
The Weight of Ink
The Weight of Ink
by Rachel Kadish
Nothing to rave about (6/22/2017)
The book was long! Take out at least 100 pages! The characters and story line were fine, but too drawn out. I forced myself to read the whole book and regret doing so. I would not recommend this book.
The Weight of Ink
The Weight of Ink
by Rachel Kadish
Just too much (6/18/2017)
The book has two interesting main characters and a good story line. However, it needed to be shortened. I often felt the story was dragging on. It would have been better with 100 less pages, which wouldn't have hurt the story line at all. I saw that someone had written that …more
The One-in-a-Million Boy
The One-in-a-Million Boy
by Monica Wood
The boys legacy (4/27/2017)
This was such a wonderful book. The characters are so well-written and you find yourself wanting the best for them. The boy touches hearts and changes lives. It's not your usual "feel good" story, as the characters experience pain.This is the story of their journey. In many …more
American Street
American Street
by Ibi Zoboi
From Haiti to America (3/15/2017)
Fabiola Toussant and her mother come to America for a new life. Her mother is detained by customs and Fabiola must live with relatives she doesn't remember. The cousins are quite a mixture of personalities and very tough cookies. Quite the culture shock with a range of …more
My Last Lament
My Last Lament
by James William Brown
There is much in life to lament (3/2/2017)
The Last Lament is not a happy story. The main character, Alita, performs laments at funerals. She seems to fall into a trance and memorialize the deceased and their life through verse. When asked to tell her story as a lamenter, she actually tells her life story. The …more
Extraordinary Adventures
Extraordinary Adventures
by Daniel Wallace
Edsel Finds His Way! (2/2/2017)
Edsel Bronfman is a character you can't help but root for, probably the most naive man I've ever read about. Yet, one can't help but hope he finds his way and the companionship and love he longs for. Is it an easy journey— absolutely not. The fact that he initially has a …more
Rise
Rise: How a House Built a Family
by Cara Brookins
Finding the Strength (10/7/2016)
I so admire the Brookins family who pulled together to build their own house. Perhaps that doesn't sound so fantastic, until you realize that this was done by a single mother and her four children. (However, the youngest was really too young to help.) This family moved from …more
Leave Me
Leave Me
by Gayle Forman
Looking for Answers (7/20/2016)
(I received this book as an Advance Reading Copy.) I really enjoyed this book. It's an easy and enjoyable read. Maribeth Klein is a character I liked and could identify with. After suffering a heart attack, she finds little support or assistance from her husband. Thus, she …more
The Tea Planter's Wife
The Tea Planter's Wife
by Dinah Jefferies
There are mysteries to sort out in this book (7/7/2016)
I liked The Tea Planter's Wife. The unanswered questions of Savi's intentions toward the various women in the story, Gwendolyn's interpretations of what was happening and had happened in the past, Laurence's not revealing the family history, Verity's treachery and …more
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