Girl Falling: A Novel
by Hayley Scrivenor
Inusual (9/13/2024)
I found the book to be a slow starter, but as I kept reading, I was hooked. Finn has a new love, but her former lover is very jealous. I was shocked that Finn didn't realize that. Daphne was extremely manipulative and went out of her way to get what she wanted. Magdu realized that, but Finn was too much in love with Magdu to see what was happening.
I felt sorry for Finn because of how Daphne treated her and also because she was dyslexic.
The ending was a real shocker!!
aphne
Mockingbird Summer: A Novel
by Lynda Rutledge
A wonderful book (2/7/2024)
This is one of those books that I couldn't put down. One of the best things about this book was that it was told through the voice of a young girl who lives in a small town.
The frustration of the mother who wanted to have a job, the older brother and his issues, and the two young girls, one a naive white girl and a girl from Haiti, and how their lives interact.
It was an accurate description of life in a small southern town. I want to ask the author, what happened to America when she left? What is her story into adulthood? This book will be on the list of my book group to read and discuss. I would give it a "must-read."
The Exiles
by Christina Baker Kline
Another great read (12/14/2022)
This author never disappoints. Wonderful story.
The Personal Librarian
by Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray
Fascinating (12/14/2022)
Historical Fiction is my favorite. Marie Benedict is such a fantastic author. I have read everything she has written.
Shadows of Berlin: A Novel
by David R. Gillham
Disappointed (4/24/2022)
This book was hard to read. I did feel sorry for Rachel, but I wish she had been more honest with her therapist. Perhaps if she told him how she honestly felt, perhaps she could have been helped.
What happened to her in Berlin was horrible. No wonder she had survivors guilt!! Also, she certainly didn't have a loving relationship with her Mother. I didn't like her Uncle. I felt he wasn't helpful to her & used her.
Sometimes I had sympathy for Rachel's husband, Other times I wanted him to be kinder to her. Actually, I was surprised he stayed with her.
Two things that bothered me in the book, the German and Yiddish languages that wasn't translated. There were times that I thought,"what the hick are they talking about?" Also, the ending of the book. After she becomes pregnant, suddenly she is okay?? What did I miss? One minute she is hating herself for what she did in the war and the next minute, she is happy and looking forward to being a Mother.
I have loaned the book to a fellow reader to get her opinion.
On a Night of a Thousand Stars
by Andrea Yaryura Clark
History Lesson (2/19/2022)
Because of reading this book, I learned much about Argentina and it's turbulent history. Of course I knew about Eva Peron but that's about it. I found the book both fascinating and shocking. The story line about Paloma was a bit predictable but it was needed to tell the story.
I had some trouble staying engaged in the middle of the book, but as the story continued, I couldn't put it down.
I'm glad I had the opportunity to read this book and will recommend it to my book group.
We Are Not Like Them: A Novel
by Christine Pride, Jo Piazza
Something to think about. (2/2/2022)
I have been thinking about this book for days after finishing it. The two women, one white and one black have been friends from an early age. Their friendship in adulthood is stretched to the limit. My takeaway from the book is we do not know what another person's life is like, even when we think we know them so well.
Two Storm Wood: A Novel
by Philip Gray
Incredible (12/2/2021)
All during the time I was reading this book, the poem "In Flanders Field" kept running through my head. I had always wondered what happened to men who died in battle? This book answered that question.
The plot concerning a woman going to France to find her fiancé was almost unbelievable. This was in 1919 and for a woman to be traveling alone seeking information was hard to imagine. Yet, the more I read the more believable it became. She made a promise and was determined to keep it.
The horrors that occurred were horrendous. War is full of horrible incidences and certainly can change men forever. A childhood trauma can change a life forever as shown in this book.
I was hooked from page one. It was almost at the end of the book before I realized who one of the characters was. That was a surprise. The ending of the book was just right.
I will recommend this book to friends. It's a great read.
Flesh & Blood: Reflections on Infertility, Family, and Creating a Bountiful Life: A Memoir
by N. West Moss
Incredible (8/5/2021)
The Memoir by West Moss was hard to put down. The story of her struggles with infertility was heartbreaking.
My heart hurt for her as she dealt with the bleeding and as she waited for a diagnosis. I was so glad when she finally has a hysterectomy. Her recovery was so hard with the continued bleeding. I wanted her doctors to solve this!! I don't know how she managed to do what she did with such a low blood count. Wow.
I enjoyed her thoughts about her Grandmother Hastings and the time with her mother as she recovered.
Her husband sounded very kind and understanding.
She was so brave to go to house set in Holland for a month. That too was difficult, but she did it.
I will recommend this book to my book club. This is a wonderful book.
Smalltime: A Story of My Family and the Mob
by Russell Shorto
disappointed (2/19/2021)
I started reading this book, thinking it was going to be a great read. Unfortunately, I am very disappointed. This book would be interesting to those in the author's family, but not to me. I cannot continue to read this book since there are some many books out there that I want to read and will find fascinating.
The Fortunate Ones
by Ed Tarkington
Great read (10/24/2020)
This was such a good story. I could "see" the characters. The contrast between the lives of Arch and Charlie was well done. I understood Charlie's mother wanting a better life for her son. The twists in the story kept me reading. I couldn't put this book down and will recommend it to my book group.
Remembrance
by Rita Woods
Unusual story (2/2/2020)
As I was reading this book I kept thinking,
"Why am I reading this book? It is so strange." That said, I couldn't put it down. The mysticism, the characters, and the plot were so fascinating that I had to keep reading. There were several things that I didn't understand why they were in the story, and I was disappointed in the ending because so many questions were left unanswered. All of that said, I'm glad I read this book.
Creatures
by Crissy Van Meter
Disappointing (9/30/2019)
When I read about this book on First Impressions, I requested it because it sounded good. Reading the book made me sorry I had requested it. The "f" word is practically every other word. To me, that shows a lack of imagination of the author. The plot is very disconnected and hard to follow. I almost didn't finish it. I will not be recommending it to anyone and will not be loaning it to anyone.
The Volunteer: One Man, an Underground Army, and the Secret Mission to Destroy Auschwitz
by Jack Fairweather
Disturbing (4/25/2019)
This was a hard book to read; not because of the writing but the subject matter. The atrocities that happened at Auschwitz are once again revealed. The bravery of Witold Pilecki was incredible. Reading about his imprisonment and the work he did to recruit other prisoners for a resistance movement was amazing. I still find it hard to believe that people insisted they didn't know what was going on there and his reports were not taken seriously.
I won't give away the ending of the book, but I was very sad.
When We Left Cuba
by Chanel Cleeton
A bit disappointing. (12/31/2018)
This is a hard book to review. I thought it was going to be about Beatriz Perez becoming a spy in order to infiltrate the world of Fidel Castro after her family lost so much in the Cuban Revolution.
Instead, it is a story of a love affair. There were long periods in the plot about the affair and how beautiful Beatriz is. I kept wondering when the plot was going to get back to her undercover work with the CIA. That seemed to be an afterthought. It was as though the author went on and on about the affair and then decided, "oh, I need to get back to the spy story." I had hoped for more....
The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls
by Anissa Gray
Wonderful Story (10/13/2018)
I loved this book! It is so different from anything I have read in quite a while. The storyline was intriguing from the first paragraph and the characters were believable. Each one had difficulties and each responded to them differently. When this book is in paperback, I will recommend it for my book group.
Fly Girls: How Five Daring Women Defied All Odds and Made Aviation History
by Keith O'Brien
Disappointed (6/10/2018)
When I read the note from the VP Editorial Director, I thought,"This is going to be a great book." Unfortunately, I didn't find it to be great. I wanted more about each woman instead of the secondary characters. I found myself putting the book down to read something else. It was a struggle for me to finish it.
Motherhood
by Sheila Heti
ridiculous (2/2/2018)
This book was a waste of my reading time. Page after page of a woman whining about "to have a baby or do not have a baby." Who cares??
Only Child
by Rhiannon Navin
Through the Eyes of a Small Boy (12/21/2017)
Sometimes a book comes along that begs you to just sit and read it. That was the case with Only Child. I read it in two afternoons.
The story of a school shooting and the aftermath told through the voice of a six-year-old boy was astounding.
His way of expressing his feelings and his insights are far beyond those of most of the adults. His parents are so grief-stricken they fail to see how he is coping.
I will remember this story for a long time and when it is in paperback, it will be on the reading and discussion list for my book group.
Unfortunately, we read about tragedies like this all too often. The author did an exceptional job of telling a story of a family after such a horrible event. I have always wondered how children who survived a school shooting coped.
This is an excellent book and I recommend it.
Happiness: The Crooked Little Road to Semi-Ever After
by Heather Harpham
Heart felt (6/13/2017)
Memoirs are not what I normally read. However, when I read about "Happiness " on First Impressions I decided to go for it. I am so glad I did. From page one to the last sentence, I was hooked. I was cheering for Gracie, and so amazed how Heather was handling what was happening. There was no way I could imagine what that family was going through. I was so glad that the author gave the reader an update on how things turned out and how the family was doing now. This is a wonderful book and I am so impressed that the author wrote the it.
.png)
