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Reviews by Jennifer S. (Irving, TX)

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Exiles: Aaron Falk Mystery #3
by Jane Harper

Exiles (10/26/2022)

Wonderful descriptive writing, The winery, the fair/festival, the reservoir, There was so much detail that I could really picture it in my mind. However, I felt it was a little slow, She spent so much time binging in peripheral characters with ties to the crime aka red herrings that it bogged the story down in the center. I kept waiting for it to take off but it was just a steady flow. I did enjoy the relationship of Faulk with the Roco's.

The Sun Down Motel
by Simone St. James

Sun Down Motel (11/21/2019)

I am normally a Historical Fiction or Contemporary Fiction reader. This one was a little different for me and I found that I really enjoyed it. I like the way the author starts off the action right at the beginning of the book with the mysterious disappearance and then slowly revels what happens with the back and forth between the past and present characters. The characters were well developed and the story was delightfully spooky. Once I started the book I didn't want to put it down.

The Atomic City Girls
by Janet Beard

My Book Club Loved it (6/11/2019)

My book club just read this as our June selection and everyone loved it. It brought to light a little known but important piece of American WWII history. It was really well researched and the characters were richly developed and believable. We enjoyed how the author captured the secrecy, the fear, the patriotism, and discrimination of the time.

Finding Dorothy
by Elizabeth Letts

Nice but not a lot to discuss (5/2/2019)

I enjoyed reading this book. I like the story, I like the characters. I could tell the author did research to make the story believable and historically relevant. A nice fast read. I just don't think there is enough to prompt a good book club discussion.

There There
by Tommy Orange

Love & Hate (5/2/2019)

This book is real and gritty and brings to light the issues facing modern day Native Americans. I loved the short story format. The writing was straightforward and the author did a good job carrying the theme through all the different characters.

Th author purposely leaves a lot of story lines unresolved. I anticipate that this book will spark a great discussion at your book club meetings.

The Night Tiger: A Novel
by Yangsze Choo

Gorgeous Descriptive Writing (5/2/2019)

Gorgeous, descriptive writing. The characters are multi dimensional. I loved how the author mixed characters that were dealing with modern day problems while dealing with old superstitions and folklore, characters from different socioeconomic backgrounds, and the restrictions of the time from different gender perspectives. There are book to read for pleasure and books to read for discussion. This is one of those rare books that works for both.

The Kennedy Debutante
by Kerri Maher

The Kennedy Debutante by Kerri Maher (6/29/2018)

I like that it has a strong female lead character. The book tells the story of the Kennedy family a generation before the really famous ones came to power. It gives us a peak of what shapes that family we all want to know more about. From London to New England it's a great read for lovers of Historical Fiction.

The Necklace
by Claire McMillan

The Necklace (6/14/2017)

I struggled at the beginning of this book. I took me awhile to get over the authors unusual phrasing. I don't know if that is just the way she writes or if it was deliberate to emphasize the hoity toityness of the upper class. The booked got much better after the necklace was found. I enjoyed the historical aspects of the book.

The Second Mrs. Hockaday
by Susan Rivers

The Second Mrs Hockaday (4/18/2017)

I really enjoyed this civil war historical drama. I think my group will have plenty to discuss with this book and I plan to order it for my book club. The rich characters and realistic plot kept me engaged and I read it through in one sitting.

The Fifth Petal: A Novel
by Brunonia Barry

The Fifth Petal by Brunonia Barry (3/14/2017)

Barry doesn't disappoint in this sequel to The Lace Reader. Some familiar characters are back and Barry's unique storytelling keep the reader engaged. I really enjoyed this book and will recommend it to my patrons.

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