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Reviews by Chris H. (Wauwatosa, WI)

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The Mystery Writer: A Novel
by Sulari Gentill
The Mystery Writer (1/24/2024)
I found this book to be immediately engaging! Each time I put it down, I was eager to to find out what the next trick would be. The Mystery Writer is the perfect mix of interesting characters and intriguing, entertaining storyline. I plan on seeking out more books by this author.
Alfie and Me: What Owls Know, What Humans Believe
by Carl Safina
Alfie & Philosophy (10/21/2023)
Alfie and Me is much more than a story about raising a screech owl and watching it become a successful wild bird. The author imbues everything about the owl with philosophy and history of human philosophical development. Hence the subtitle What Owls Know, What Humansmore
The Gifts: A Novel
by Liz Hyder
The Gifts (3/8/2023)
Although I found the book page-turning and always wanted to know what was next, I thought it lacked a central, attached story. Three women grew wings during different time periods which I was interested in and also confused by. I wanted a more in depth story of perhaps onemore
Homestead: A Novel
by Melinda Moustakis
Homestead (1/24/2023)
Melinda Moustakis makes Homestead a book about so much more than just building in Alaska to earn a homestead. She brings Marie and Lawrence to life by describing the challenges of their lives beyond what was outlined by the government as Alaska is becoming a state. Mariemore
Scatterlings: A Novel
by Resoketswe Martha Manenzhe
Scatterlings (10/24/2022)
This book has a highly interesting piece of history to share! For a reason I can't quite put my finger on, I found it challenging to read. It kept occurring to me that perhaps the difficulty was in a translation? Or maybe just not for me at this time. I felt as though I wasmore
The Family Izquierdo: A Novel
by Rubén Degollado
The Family Izquierdo (8/17/2022)
I was excited to read The Family Izquierdo. I found the storyline intriguing and the characters interesting and well-developed. However, the amount of the book written in Spanish was off-putting to me. While most of the time the context clues were enough to give an idea ofmore
Peach Blossom Spring: A Novel
by Melissa Fu
Peach Blossom Spring (3/16/2022)
A wonderful book taking the reader through generations of the family of Dao Hongtse from 1938 to 1997. The story has beautiful images of scrolls that carry tales and history, peach trees, and connections of family. The story also tells of sadness and loss as family ismore
Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific Journey
by Florence Williams
Heartbreak (12/11/2021)
In this book, Florence Williams gives the reader her personal story of heartbreak and the science behind what one might feel when heartbroken. I found the science in this book very interesting and the author made it very readable. Ms. Williams holds nothing back in sharingmore
The Sunset Route: Freight Trains, Forgiveness, and Freedom on the Rails in the American West
by Carrot Quinn
open your mind! (8/10/2021)
Carrot Quinn is a writer with a rare quality. She shares her life story in an honest and unflinching way. Through her choice of words and style of writing, I could experience what she saw and how she lived - the grit of it. A reader might find Quinn to be self-absorbedmore
The Temple House Vanishing
by Rachel Donohue
Temple House Vanishing (4/22/2021)
I found this book to be a page turner! However, while it was engaging and easy to read, it was also easy to forget. I would consider this book to be for the 16-year-old age group.
Raft of Stars
by Andrew J. Graff
Raft of Stars (11/9/2020)
The fiercely loyal friendship of two young boys brings a community together. A community that hasn't always agreed or got along with one another. This story forges unexpected relationships that develop in truth, compassion and integrity.
A Girl is A Body of Water
by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi
A Girl is a Body of Water (8/19/2020)
This is a wonderful book about a girl growing up in Uganda. It tells her story as she is raised in a small village by grandparents and others who teach her traditional ways. Her story continues as she begins to becomes school educated and is exposed to life outside a smallmore
The Mountains Sing
by Nguyen Phan Que Mai
The Mountains Sing (2/14/2020)
This is a wonderful book telling the multigenerational story of a Vietnamese family who lived in Vietnam during that war. It is so important to read about the experiences of a family whose own country is taken over by war. How did the Land Reform and Communist governmentmore
I Want You to Know We're Still Here: A Post-Holocaust Memoir
by Esther Safran Foer
Hard to rate (11/17/2019)
This book relates a very important part of history and a personal one at that. I have trouble rating it for that reason. The story is important, therefore my rating of 3-average. However, I found the readability challenging, therefore my rating of 2-poor. The challenge ofmore
The Guest Book
by Sarah Blake
The Guest Book (5/5/2019)
This book tells the story of a family through the times of life. I enjoyed every bit from start to finish. I find that the longer it has been since I have finished it, the more I appreciate and think about it. The characters (there are many) are interesting, unique, andmore
Our House
by Louise Candlish
Our House (6/27/2018)
I found the premise of this book to be quite interesting. The way in which the two main characters told their versions of events was intriguing. One character told her version through a podcast. The other through a word document. However, I think the story could have beenmore
As Bright as Heaven
by Susan Meissner
As Bright As Heaven (10/26/2017)
This is a very good book if you want a story about the trials of people who lived during the time of the Spanish flu that just skims the surface of what it might have been like. When I read about the book, I was hoping for a deeper story. One that would have gone furthermore
The Twelve-Mile Straight: A Novel
by Eleanor Henderson
Twelve-Mile Straight (5/31/2017)
This is a book of perspectives and impressions. It covers a time period during the depression and prohibition. It is wonderful in the way the characters and their lives are intertwined. It brings racism to the fore. It is such a gripping and page turning read that leads one'more
The Invisible Life of Ivan Isaenko
by Scott Stambach
Ivan's Story (7/23/2016)
This is a beautiful story of the complications of life. A story of true acceptance and true love - both on many levels.
The Alaskan Laundry
by Brendan Jones
Alaskan Laundry (3/21/2016)
I was very interested in reading this book when I read the description. I loved the idea of the story! The characters are interesting, but felt they were never really developed. That's where the book fell flat for me.
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