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Reviews by Carol F. (Lake Linden, MI)

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The Resurrection of Joan Ashby
The Resurrection of Joan Ashby
by Cherise Wolas
Resurrection (6/9/2017)
I opened this book and then inhaled it. The main story is gorgeously written but the secondary stories written by Ashby are riveting! I want to know these substory characters better, find out how their story ends but I also want to get back to the main story. It is a lovely dilemma to have. Ashby says "writers have infinite choices and mothers nearly no choice at all" Let's hope that this writer's choice is to write more books such as this one.
No One Is Coming to Save Us
No One Is Coming to Save Us
by Stephanie Powell Watts
No One is Coming to Save Us (4/17/2017)
I am giving this book an average rating - comparing this book to the Great Gatsby is quite a stretch. The plot is similar perhaps but the character development and overall flow of the book is sorely lacking. Where long paragraphs in this book start with one topic, we are left at the end of the paragraph with something entirely different.

I did not find the characters developed fully enough. Henry and Jay in particular felt almost thrown into the story. And the repetitious dialogue became quite tiring throughout the book.
My Last Lament
My Last Lament
by James William Brown
What We Learn (3/20/2017)
The real story of war is not found in sterile history books that record facts and figures. The real story is told by the survivors of war and in this book those survivors are the innocent children. The choices they make to survive are also the choices they must make to forget. The characters are brought to life beautifully but the story drags a bit in the middle.
Extraordinary Adventures
Extraordinary Adventures
by Daniel Wallace
Choices (2/13/2017)
The smallest choices we make every day can change our lives. Edsel decides to start changing his life by making changes so minor they are almost unnoticeable. And so begins the journey of Edsel from his routine, boring life to the more adventurous life he never dreamed he would have. A good read full of memorable characters.
The Typewriter's Tale
The Typewriter's Tale
by Michiel Heyns
Need a dictionary to read (1/1/2017)
Although I understand that this book was written in the style of Henry James with as many lengthy, cumbersome, arcane words in every sentence as possible, it seriously hampered its readability. The story gets lost in the swirl of vocabulary, commas and mind numbing chapters about nothing. The chapter where the assembled diners are all Fletcherising was as hard to read as I imagine it was to be present at the dinner.
Edgar and Lucy
Edgar and Lucy
by Victor Lodato
Beautiful and Quirky (12/9/2016)
Beautifully written story of a family that struggles to connect with each other. Yes, there is mental illness, death and more sadness but the essence of the book are the ties that bind a family together. The language is so gorgeous that I found myself re-reading whole paragraphs just to enjoy it again. Sad, quirky and oddly humorous. Loved it.
Falling
Falling
by Jane Green
Easy summer read (6/10/2016)
I would definitely put this book in the easy vacation read category. The immediate love between the two main characters was somewhat improbable and from then on you could predict much of the story line. Yes, there is a plot twist but after that I still felt you could predict the ending.
The Secret Language of Stones
The Secret Language of Stones: A Daughters of La Lune Novel
by M. J. Rose
Unexpected pleasure (4/15/2016)
I fell into this book from the first sentence; "Every morning the pavement in front of our shop is washed clean by the tears of the mothers of dead soldiers....". Is this book a love story, a mystery, a history of WW1, or a witch's tale of power? Somehow it is all of them wrapped up in one great read.
The Return of the Witch
The Return of the Witch
by Paula Brackston
Just average (1/13/2016)
I would not normally choose this type of book to read and found it a struggle at first to get an idea of what this story was about not having read the first book. What struck me most was how obviously coincidental the main events were - just when something major was about to happen there was always an eleventh hour save or event. This became almost predictable as the story went on and I found it somewhat humorous to anticipate that this would happen. Sorry - just average.
Far From True
Far From True: A Promise Falls Novel
by Linwood Barclay
My First Linwood Barclay (12/8/2015)
I have never read a Linwood Barclay thriller before and so had no preconceptions about the quality of his writing. This book held my interest from the start and due to its short chapters I found it easy to pick up and read when I had few moments. I also did not realize this was part of a trilogy so was caught off guard at the end which was not the end. At first the characters seem like they do not belong in the same story but as you read you discover the connection between them. I wish there had been more development/back story of some of the characters but of course am not sure if this was taken care of in the first book. I will definitely look for the third book in this series.
Frank & Ava
Frank & Ava: In Love and War
by John Brady
Not so great (8/10/2015)
The only interesting part of this book was the history of the film studios in the early days. The story of Frank and Ava itself read more like a list than a story with all the short snippets of he said, she said. The lack of any flowing story made it difficult to keep wanting to read more.
The Perfect Comeback of Caroline Jacobs
The Perfect Comeback of Caroline Jacobs
by Matthew Dicks
Comeback or Something Else? (6/5/2015)
Revenge! Is that really what Caroline was after or was it something deeper - something she had always needed to resolve that finally came to the forefront? You just have to find out if Caroline will go through with her plan and so you almost rush to the end of the book to find out. Along the way though we realize that Polly's high school life is not really so different than Caroline's was many years ago. I think this book could work for a discussion group.
Still Life Las Vegas
Still Life Las Vegas
by James Sie
Refreshingly different (5/11/2015)
It is the slow unfolding of this story that draws you in and keeps you searching for the truth along with Walter. The small graphic chapters are truly engaging and lend a touching perspective to the story. The quirky characters are developed in a way that makes them believable and likable at the same time. An unusual but beautifully written book.
The Art of Baking Blind
The Art of Baking Blind
by Sarah Vaughan
Good but predictable (3/10/2015)
Although I enjoyed this book I found that the story was pretty predictable from the start. The characters were somewhat cookie cutter in that it seemed like each was there for a particular outcome - one rich and thin, one struggling single Mom etc. I don't think this book would work for a discussion group because I'm not sure what you would actually discuss. I would put this book in the vacation or beach read category.
He Wanted the Moon
He Wanted the Moon: The Madness and Medical Genius of Dr. Perry Baird, and His Daughter's Quest to Know Him
by Mimi Baird with Eve Claxton
Didn't think I'd like it.... (2/16/2015)
I was sure I would not really enjoy reading this book but chose it as "something different". How wrong I was! Once I started reading I couldn't put this book down. You become enveloped in Dr.Baird's plight as a patient with a medical background who knows that the treatment he is receiving for his manic depression is not helping him manage his condition. Even his writing during his manic phases keeps you oddly engrossed. I would have given this book a 5 but did not totally enjoy the daughter's writing as it was a bit drawn out at the end and seemed to focus on how we should feel sympathy for her.
The Last Good Paradise
The Last Good Paradise
by Tatjana Soli
Not My Paradise (12/3/2014)
I almost liked this book at the beginning where it dealt with a unfulfilling career but it seemed that as soon as we were in "paradise" I found the book dragging on and the storyline became more unbelievable as the book progressed. I wanted to finish it to give it a proper review but it was a struggle especially towards the end where it veers off and the characters become even more unbelievable. Sorry - I did not enjoy this book.
The Quick
The Quick
by Lauren Owen
Different story well written (4/19/2014)
This is a beautifully written book full of rich phrases that make you want to keep reading. When the author is describing the closing of James and Charlotte's childhood home she writes "it was as if their lives were a pencil line drawn on a piece of paper and someone had followed behind erasing the line as they went".

The author has the ability to make you feel like you are standing there on a London street corner or sitting in a Victorian parlor with her vivid descriptions.

The one unfavorable comment I have is that so many characters are introduced as the book progresses and are referred to alternately by their first or last names that it makes it somewhat confusing to keep them all straight.
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