Reviews by Roberta

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The River
The River
by Peter Heller
Good adventure story (7/8/2020)
Best friends Jack and Wynn embark on a river trip which should be idyllic but is not. We know from the first sentence that there is a fire up the river. As they are traveling in their canoe, they meet a pair of Texans who are camping out and who seem unconcerned about the …more
Catherine House
Catherine House: A Novel
by Elisabeth Thomas
Slow Paced and Unsatisfying (3/16/2020)
This book was touted as a "seductive, gothic-infused debut of literary suspense." I do not agree. I guess you could call it a slow burn when the real mystery part doesn't unfold until you are 30 pages from the end. Every time I thought there was a bit of suspense building …more
The Splendid and the Vile
The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz
by Erik Larson
Entertaining Light History (2/24/2020)
Winston Churchill was not exaggerating when he said that the future of Western civilization depended upon the outcome of the Battle of Britain. Late 1940 and early 1941 truly was an historic time in the life of the world, and for those wanting or needing a refresher, this …more
The Women with Silver Wings
The Women with Silver Wings: The Inspiring True Story of the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II
by Katherine Sharp Landdeck
You Taught Us How to Fly (1/19/2020)
When the United States entered World War II it had been only twenty years since American women were allowed to vote. So perhaps it should come as no surprise that in 1942 the male power structure, especially that of the Army Air Force, believed that women could not fly …more
The Weight of a Piano
The Weight of a Piano
by Chris Cander
Good but falls short (12/24/2019)
I wanted to like this book more than I did, so my feelings about it are mixed. 3.5 would be my ideal rating.

I have always wished that antiques (in this case a piano) could talk and tell us their history---where they have lived, who owned them and what they witnessed.

It is …more
The Sympathizer
The Sympathizer
by Viet Thanh Nguyen
Grim (12/15/2019)
If you hate quotation marks, love depressing books, need more reasons to hate America, like upsetting scenes of torture and killing, then this book is for you.
The Clockmaker's Daughter
The Clockmaker's Daughter: A Novel
by Kate Morton
Huge disappointment (7/4/2019)
I love Kate Morton's books and was so excited to start reading this one. It was a disappointment. It was disjointed and hard to follow. Every time I thought it would pick up and get "mysterious", it failed to deliver. I will, however, read Morton's next book as she is a …more
Nothing to See Here
Nothing to See Here
by Kevin Wilson
A sweet gem (6/15/2019)
When I read the blurb about this book, I knew I had to read it. Children who spontaneously combust? Who can resist that?

The book is funny, poignant and definitely quirky. Kevin Wilson has created memorable characters that stick with you.

It's a delightful read and I recommend it.
More News Tomorrow
More News Tomorrow: A Novel
by Susan Richards Shreve
Lost opportunities (4/21/2019)
Georgianna Grove is about to celebrate her 70th birthday when she receives a letter that takes her back to a trip that occurred when she was four years old. During that trip her mother was murdered and her father confessed to the murder. She decides to recreate the canoe …more
Happiness
Happiness
by Aminatta Forna
Happiness may not be what you think (12/31/2018)
Loved this book. Wonderful complex main characters and interesting minor characters. Many themes, including man vs nature, pain and suffering, grief, loss and love, are explored in this beautifully written book. It is a meaty and smart book. I know I will read it again.
Force of Nature
Force of Nature: Aaron Falk Mystery #2
by Jane Harper
Another great book by Jane Harper (12/24/2018)
I enjoyed reading The Dry and was anxious to read this book. It did not disappoint. Harper does an excellent job of creating believable characters. A group of women goes on a retreat in the Australian bush and one of the women goes missing---or so it appears. The story …more
Don't Look Back: An Inspector Sejer Mystery
Don't Look Back: An Inspector Sejer Mystery
by Karin Fossum
Great mystery from Norwegian author (8/26/2018)
A friend recommended this mystery to me and said she had just discovered Norwegian author Karin Fossum. This book is in a series of Inspector Sejer mysteries. Now I'm hooked!

Fossum creates a tension and feeling of dread in the very first chapter. Filled with psychological …more
The Woman in the Window
The Woman in the Window: A Novel
by A. Finn
Melodramatic (8/18/2018)
The Girl on a Train meets Rear Window. Alcoholic agoraphobic traumatized main character with nothing to make her sympathetic. Not recommending this one.
The Feather Thief
The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century
by Kirk Wallace Johnson
Feather Obsessed (7/26/2018)
A fascinating story about a daring theft of rare bird feathers and the obsession behind it. Reads like a whodunit.
Black Rabbit Hall
Black Rabbit Hall
by Eve Chase
Good Gothic Read (3/14/2018)
I tend to love mysteries that involve old houses with some kind of secret history. Black Rabbit Hall is such a place. The story is woven between generations, the first being the Alton family in 1968 and present-day Lorna who is looking for a venue for her upcoming wedding. …more
Less
Less
by Andrew Sean Greer
Less is More (3/8/2018)
My favorite thing about this book is that it made me laugh. Arthur Less is about to turn fifty and his longtime partner is going to marry another man. In order to avoid the wedding he decides to accept all the invitations he has been offered and travel around the world. …more
Manhattan Beach
Manhattan Beach
by Jennifer Egan
Not much substance (2/25/2018)
I wanted to like this book, but I found the characters lacking in depth. I just didn't care about them. On the positive side, there was some beautiful writing in it. But two weeks after reading this book, I can't even remember it.
The Women in the Castle
The Women in the Castle
by Jessica Shattuck
A Moving WWII Story (2/4/2018)
I loved this book. It is the story of three widows whose lives become intertwined during WWII in Germany. They are brought together as a result of the failed resistance plot to assassinate Hitler in July 1944. Marianne von Lingenfels promises one of the resisters that she …more
The Dry
The Dry: Aaron Falk Mystery #1
by Jane Harper
Familiar plot line but enjoyable read (12/31/2017)
The author does a good job with a familiar plot line. Man returns to his childhood town for the funeral of a friend. Secrets from the past dog him as he is called on to help solve a present day murder. The story shifts from past to present as all is revealed. I enjoyed this book.
My Absolute Darling
My Absolute Darling
by Gabriel Tallent
Didn't live up to the hype (9/15/2017)
I was excited to read this book because of all the buzz about it. The first third of the book was gripping and wonderful, but when I finished it I found that I was furious and disappointed. At the end I wondered: Is this really how a 14 year old behaves and talks, even if …more
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