Mimi Malloy, At Last!
by Julia MacDonnell
Mimi survives - and thrives (2/2/2014)
My mother was born nearly the same year as Mimi, the middle of 10 children, 7 of them girls. She has never talked about her childhood and steered us away when we tried to ask. She had no missing sisters and her parents lived to ripe old age, but there is something about that era that keeps many people from discussing - or even remembering - it; whether the reasons be deep family secrets or the hardship of growing up on a farm during the depression. Hurrah for Mimi and the women in her family who, however, unwillingly, face the past so they can face the future.
One Minus One: Nancy Pearl's Book Lust Rediscoveries
by Ruth Doan MacDougall
Superb! (4/7/2013)
I understand why Nancy Pearl chose this one for Book Lust Rediscoveries. Excellent plot growing from a believable character, who, while she may not react as I would, reacts in a truly reasonable manner to the forces around her. As with all truly good books, once I turned the last page, I found myself imagining how Emily's life might go on. I will look for more by Ruth Doan MacDougall. (Why haven't I run onto her before? My loss.)
Proof of Heaven: A Novel
by Mary Curran Hackett
Fast read, Good analogies (9/3/2011)
While some of Hackett's scenes are contrived and she frequently resorted to telling her readers what they should have gotten from a story or scene when she might have trusted them to "get the point" from what she was showing, the book is a good, fast read, with good analogies - searching and finding, what constitutes a family, the pain and pleasure of unconditional love. An excellent book for book clubs, or just for a few friends to read and discuss.
The Tudor Secret: The Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles
by C. W. Gortner
The Tudor Secret (3/21/2011)
Interesting point of view -- a young male servant -- and good feel for the times in the pacing and language, but a little unbelievable that a young servant would so quickly become enmeshed in intrigue, particularly when the young Princess Elizabeth knows so very well that her life is at stake.
The Philosophical Breakfast Club: Four Remarkable Friends Who Transformed Science and Changed the World
by Laura J. Snyder
Philosophical Breakfast Club (1/4/2011)
Every page reminds me of yet another person who would really enjoy this book. I may have to buy a peck of them for gifts this next year!! Historian, scientist, mathematician, economist, inquiring mind....there's something here to satisfy nearly everyone's interest.
by
Disappointing (6/13/2010)
Death Echo is the first book I've read by Elizabeth Lowell and is very likely to be the last. For the first 300 pages, suspense is missing, sex is gratuitous, characterizations are thin, and the plot is weak. Why do Emma and Mac trust each other? Why does anyone trust Alara? Who is Steele and why do we waste time on his point of view? Death Echo could have been a very strong book -- a US city is in danger in a very realistic way -- and Emma and Mac could have been people we cared about. Since Lowell has many books in print, I can only surmise that she is successful enough that her editor sees no point in editing -- her books will sell no matter how weak.
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